Prodigy
by Savage324
Summary: I have no memories that go back farther then my worst nightmare. I've seen the darkest a soul can become. In a world that is supposed to be ideal, perfect, I've been in a living Hell for a thousand years: Hanging Dog. I live in darkness that overshadow's light. When I was asked to join the Soul Reapers, I only needed to know one thing: It's better then the cesspool you live in now.
1. Welcome to the Academy

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, and welcome to Prodigy! This is an AU fanfic with my OCs thrown into the original story line! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I've had fun writing it! Feel free to review the story, telling me things that you liked, things that you didn't like, so that I can work to make this story the best one for you all! Without further a due, here is the story! **

***This chapter has been edited and revised since it's original release***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only my OCs, the original plot and story ideas, as well as any other original content that is portayed in this story that is not the property of Tite Kubo. **

I stood at the intimidating gates of the Soul Reaper Academy, clenching my fists in an attempt to calm myself down.

Being the center of attention wasn't my idea of a great time. In fact, it was one of the things that freaked me out the most. The people that were staring at me, whispering to their friends, were oblivious to that fact. I clutched the small, almost nonexistent bag of food that I had brought with me for the trip to this place. They were all stolen, of course, taken from farmer's markets and merchants' carts with my above average skill with theft. It came natural to a child Soul with no parents in the Rukkon.

I had no name, no belongings except the clothes on by back and the food I brought with me from my "home" in the South Rukkon. I felt the other students of the academy gaze in me disapprovingly, both from my physical age and where I obviously came from. Sneers from the nobles, some more stuck up then others. Then there were others that just looked at me with pity, like they thought I was lost or something.

I know I was supposed to be here, though, since my spiritual pressure was better than all of these nobles and brutes of the Rukkon.

It's why I'm here after all. A Soul Reaper Captain had recruited me himself. The two things I noticed about him were his caring demeanor and white hair. The same as my hair. Even dirty, my hair seemed to glow at night time, and looked like pure snow in the daylight. The Captain had noticed me because of my hair, saying something about how much spiritual "pressure" I had.

It was a fact that almost no one near my age had white hair naturally. Another thing that made heads turn my way. That kind Captain had told me that I had so much more potential as a Soul Reaper then as a poor girl on the streets of the third-poorest and third-most outward district. I didn't say anything back, only nodding my agreement. I couldn't help but feel safe around him, his aura sort of like a kind father's would be.

At least what I imagined a father would be like from the stories I heard.

I didn't know how to speak, not like he did, with elegant tones and adjectives incorporated into his speech. I knew what all those words meant, though, but I didn't know how to say them without making a fool out of myself. With no one but yourself to speak to, what's the point of saying it out loud? I haven't spoken in a century, but that would have to change from what I've heard about the incantations of "Kidō".

"Excuse me, new students of the Soul Reaper Academy! You are requested in the lecture hall for your assigning to a class! First years only! Second Years and up have already been given their assignments." Proclaimed a loud and eloquent female voice.

I walked over to where the voice had come from, following the other first years into a large lecture hall. With a high ceiling and enough seating to spare, the lecture hall was rather impressive indeed. I, having only seen the pitiful shacks from the 78th district was always impressed with what the Soul Society had to offer. The students filed into the room noisily, chatting it up with their friends from homes. Or in the case of high-and-mighty nobles, whispering in elegant tones of the current gossip.

Nobles I strangely was neutral towards. While others I've heard gripe and complain about the unfair privilege of the aristocrats, I knew that it came with a price. Certain things that normal people would take for granted, like being able to be free to take a walk, were a luxury that nobles couldn't afford thanks to their responsibilities to fulfill. Sure they had luxuries that they took for granted, like fine clothes and delicious food, while they complained that they didn't have enough freedom to roam as they pleased. But I my eyes, it was even. And it didn't matter what I was now anyway. Street beggar or not, soon I'd be something that some feared and almost all respected. A Soul Reaper.

That didn't mean that those nobles had that sort of mindset, though. It's not like they look at little girls like me and think of them as equals in any sense.

"Good evening, students!" Called a Soul Reaper in a Captain's white robes, a women's kimono draped over top of it. "I am Captain Kyoraku of the Eighth Division. I've been asked to oversee all of you and make sure that you all get situated accordingly. First of all I'd like to welcome all of you to the Soul Reaper Academy!"

Some of the students mumbled among themselves as I say down quietly in the most secluded seat in the very top right of the grand lecture hall. My good eyesight still let me see the Squad Eight Captain rather well. H's brown wavy hair was pulled back into a pony tail, two identical flower hair pins sticking out at the beginning of that pony tail. He had a sparse, even beard that framed a confident grin that would be interrupted every so often with a yawn.

There was no one sitting near me, since most had been sitting near the front to see a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

The Captain continued in a projected voice, "My lieutenant will be calling you down by name to receive your uniforms, supplies, boarding, and schedules. Do not lose these items, because you will not be getting any extra."

And so they began to call names in alphabetical order. I tuned them out, since I would be listed as 'Nameless' anyway, and left to be the last on that list. That gave me a good time to reflect on how I wanted to leave this place in Soul Reaper robes with a Zanpakutō at my hip as soon as possible and continue on to the Seireitei just as quickly. As name after name was called, and with them seat after seat was vacated, the room suddenly seemed much larger without the combined spiritual pressure of all of those First Years.

Sooner then I realized, it was only me and the two powerful Soul Reapers in the room. I felt like a soar thumb, subconsciously hiding in the shadows like I'd done to stay alive in the Rukkon. But the Captain of Squad Eighth looked directly into my eyes from the place he stood at the bottom of the stairs...and he smiled.

"Come here, little lady," The man called gently, "You must be the one listed as 'Special Case'."

I rose, strangely warmed by his accepting gaze and soft tone. His Lieutenant gave me a small smile behind her glasses, probably because I was a mere child. I slowly made my way down the strongly built steps of the lecture hall. My small, childishly petite feet padding softly on the wood of those same steps. I felt even smaller than I already knew I was. The seats I passed meant to seat teenagers and young adults that had to be a foot or two taller than me at least. The rags I called clothes were stained and looked like the Soul Society's most pitiful kimono, but it was the best I had that would fit my small frame.

Finally I reached the Captain, my chin level with his hips as I looked up at him with an anxious gaze. Then I did something that I hadn't done in a long time, and spoke in a soft and delicate voice that came out almost as a whisper, "...Y...Yes?"

"You have such a beautiful voice. You don't want to introduce yourself, little girl?" The Captain somehow managed to make 'little girl' sound like a pleasant title. He got down on one knee, crouching even further so he would be eye level with me. I figured he did that so I wouldn't have to strain my own neck to look him in the eyes.

"..." I strained to find the words, but nothing came out.

I shook my head...showing that I didn't have a name to introduce myself with. My eyes looked down at my bare feet, as I felt kind of sad at that fact.

"Well," the Captain said in a warm tone, "How about you find one?"

"Find...One?" I repeated hoarsely, confused.

"I have a feeling that you'll find it soon," The Captain smiled, motioning to his Lieutenant, "Nanao, could you hand this lovely littel lady her supplies?"

"Certainly, Captain," The Lieutenant said, adjusting her glasses, "Here you go."

She handed me my uniform and the books for First Years.

I leaned my head to the side like a confused puppy as I timidly took them. She gave me my room number, and what building I was in. I nodded and motioned goodbye to the two Soul Reapers and headed quickly for my room so I could change into my new uniform, and see my new room. The thought of something that wasn't hundreds of years old and previously used by someone that had died, actually made me feel sort of excited.

I looked forward to this new chance I had been given, to start a new life from the nightmare I'd been born into to long ago. I passed through the halls, but not unnoticed. People, nobles or not, looked at me with a strange look of pity and something like distaste. I know what they were looking at. A ten year old looking child soul with white hair and petite features. That white hair had grown unchecked down past the small of my back, parts of it a dark grey due to the fact that the murky river water couldn't wash out the grime. I must've looked timid or scared to them since I was so young compared to them. I didn't know what color my eyes were, since no one had ever told me and nothing in the Rukkon was shiny enough to give me a reflection. Even then water wasn't an option, so I couldn't even use that as a mirror. I shrugged off their looks and continued on to my new room.

The room was directly across from a men's dorm room. I knew that only because when I found my room, I heard a heated argument between two men in the room behind me. I ignored them as the sound of punches being thrown sounded through the wall, since fights between hot-blooded men in the Rukkon wasn't exactly strange. I looked to the door to the room, and knocked softly.

The door opened to reveal a woman a head or so taller then me, making her rather short, though I chose not to say anything. She had beautiful violet eyes, and raven hair that wrapped around her head and dispersed as it came to her neck to lay on her shoulders. The lowest her hair went to was just passed her shoulder blades. She smiled pleasantly at me, looking at me to see if she were expecting me. She wore the Soul Reaper uniform but had a badge that identified her as a substitute teacher attached to the collar of her robes.

"What's your name?" She asked in a pretty voice, a cheerful and happy tone resonating.

"I...U-Uh..." I smiled just as much as she did, still in awe of the fact I had an answer to her question.

"You don't have a name yet?" The Soul Reaper asked, then rested her chin between her thumb and index finger when I confirmed her suspicions with a timid nod, "Well..."

She looked over me with an almost critical eye, making me feel uncomfortable and hug myself to remain still. She looked at my face, my hair, and my eyes. The kimono I wore, which was tattered and shredded. The fabric was stained so badly that the white was completely gone. She had to have noticed how short I was, even with the fact that I was around the physical age of ten. I could feel my arms start to lose a little circulation from holding up my new school uniform and supplies for such a long time. I took a breath, waiting for what this Soul Reaper would say next.

"Misami Tsukino," She said, a small smile tugging at her lips with a satisfied look in her eyes, "That'll be your name from now on."

"Mi...sami...Tsuki...no?" I said, starting to feel like I could talk more without my throat starting to hurt.

The Soul Reaper noticed the slight inclination of my head, "'Misami' means _Elegant Beauty _and 'Tsukino' means _Of the Moon_."

I could feel my cheeks flush, something that I hadn't had felt in a while surging up from some dark part of my soul. Happiness. I was feeling utter happiness for the first time in years, the instant that I realized that, not only did I finally have a name, but I had one that would be an eternal compliment from such an elegant and beautiful Soul Reaper. I could almost feel my eyes start to heat up and water, a lump in my throat forming slightly. I tired my best to suppress the feeling for the time being, since I was in front of a Soul Reaper and I didn't want to give off the impression that I was a cry baby.

"My name's Rukia," She beamed at my happiness, giving a courteous bow, "Rukia Kuchiki."

I recognized her name and bowed as elegantly as I knew how, which wasn't that impressive by anyone's standards, "I'm...Ho-Honored...Miss K-Kuchiki."

"Please don't be formal, Misami," She smiled again, "If that's how our relationship is going to be, then it'll be a long six years for the both of us."

She giggled, and I couldn't help but giggle with her, embarrassed by my pitiful gesture.

"Why...my...room..mate, M-Miss Kuchiki?" I asked in my ridiculously small sounding voice, actually almost forming a complete sentence.

"Please, call me Rukia, all of my friends do," She beamed, then labelled off with her fingers, "And there's a few reasons. One, my Captain said that he wanted someone to watch over you while you went through the academy and be tutor if the need should arise. Two, my Captain wanted you to have a roommate that wouldn't make your life miserable because of where you came from. Three, the two idiots across from us are going to need me and you a lot in the future. And last, the Kidō teacher has been feeling I'll so I will be filling in for him. And just between you and me, I've wanted a friend that lived in the Rukkon like I did that was a girl too."

I blinked, it was a lot to take in, every reason she was here was making me feel better about the situation I was in but the last side note she had said made my heart swell with that same happiness that threatened to make me cry with joy, "Y-You want...to be...my fr-friend?"

"Of course!" Rukia smiled.

I couldn't believe it. A Kuchiki of all souls in the Soul Society wanted to be friends with me of all people, "I've...never h-had a...friend before..."

"Really?" Rukia said, pulling me inside the dorm room, "Then the Rukkon must've have been awful..."

I nodded, changing the subject before the memories if where I came from started to haunt me again, "Who...are the two...'idiots' you have to...w-watch?"

She giggled again at the sight of me putting air quotes on 'idiots' and sat down next to me on one of the beds, "That would be-"

But Rukia was cut off by a loud voice as the door to our dorm was slammed open, "Hey, I thought I sensed you, Rukia!"

A tall and lean muscled man slipped in through the door with another man who looked a little more built. The one who spoke had maroon red hair that had been pulled up into a pony-tail. He looked vaguely like a pineapple. He had intricate tattoos on his face, and they seemed to be on his chest as well. He looked at Rukia like he'd known her all his life, and so did Rukia. The man behind the pineapple was quite hard to miss with his bright orange hair and deep seemingly permanent scowl. But when he laid eyes on Rukia, I saw it lessen almost unnoticeably. Only I noticed it it seemed, maybe because if my good vision or this was the first time I've seen him. the orange haired man wore the Soul Reaper Academy uniform, while the red haired one wore a badge that said he was a substitute teacher.

Rukia noticed that I'd regressed to hugging my knees on the bed before I did and motioned to me with a big smile, "Renji Abari, meet my new friend Misami Tsukino!"

"Hey," The red haired one, Renji, put on a big grin, "Nice to meet ya!"

"It's n-nice to...meet you...too," I tired my best to smile, silently cursing the delicate sound of my voice.

"And the orange-headed idiot behind him," Rukia's eyes glittered at the sight of him momentarily, then went back to normal the next instant as she smiled broadly, "Is Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Hey," Ichigo said, giving me a reassuring small smile, shattering my childish impression that that scowl was actually permanent. His eyes seemed to genuinely smile too, which meant that the snails wasn't too forced. It made me feel more comfortable around him already. He reached out his hand for a handshake. I felt my right hand let go from clasping my shin to my chest, and shook it. A small smile on my face too.

"Nice to...meet you, I-Ichigo," I said as politely as I could.

"So tell me, Ichigo," Rukia smiled mischievously, "How did you end up here?"

Ichigo looked at Rukia and scowled again, "...I was fighting some punks at night, and they shot me in the head..."

Rukia and Renji looked at each other and then back at Ichigo. Then they laughed hard for at least a minute, until they had lost their breath from laughing so hard.

"A bullet ended the great Ichigo Kurosaki's human life?" Renji wheezed as he caught his breath, "And here I thought it would've at least been a hollow."

Ichigo wasn't amused, "I don't seen why it would matter. At least my Gigai was decently old so they thought I just died of a heart attack or something."

Rukia caught her breath and looked at him with playful dismissiveness, scooting a little closer to me to let me know she hadn't forgot about me. "Whatever, Strawberry."

Ichigo's eye twitched, "What was that, Midget?"

Rukia gave him a hard look, "I am not short!"

"Yes you are." Renji added flatly.

"No one asked you, Renji!" Rukia have him to same look.

"I don't think...you're...short, R-Rukia," I chimed in, almost too quietly to be heard.

She gave me a sideways glance, mouthing, "Thank you."

Then she looked at Ichigo and Renji, "You guys go ahead and leave. The classes start tomorrow and it's late."

"Fine," Ichigo shrugged, "C'mon, Renji."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'," Renji said turning to leave.

"It was nice to meet you, Misami." Ichigo called back at me as he and Renji slipped through the doorway.

"It was nice to...meet you too!" I called softly just before the door closed, my voice almost squeaking.

I turned my attention to the uniform now laying down on the bed beside me. I only now realized that I didn't know how to put it on. Rukia looked expectantly, at me while I looked at the uniform, trying to remember I'd put the dirty kimono I wore, but it's been at least a century since I've had it and I had someone who could help me with it. Rukia saw the look in my eyes and looked knowingly at me.

"Do you want me to help you put it on, Misami?" She asked gingerly, like she was worried I would be offended by the question.

"Please," I looked over to her with a pleading smile, "I would...really appreciate it."

"Okay," Rukia said softly, "Grab it and let me show you."

So I lifted the uniform from the bed and handed it to my new friend. She helped me out of my kimono and into the uniform, teaching me along the way so I could do it on my own. I was grateful for the help, embarrassed that I needed the help to begin with. She was so kind, I felt extremely lucky to have some one like Rukia as my first friend. As she helped me tuck in the tops into the bottoms of the uniform, Rukia lead me to a floor length mirror attached to the wall. It's was then that I saw a few firsts.

One was my body clad in new clothing of any sort. Back in the South Rukkon's 78th District, everything that existed that far out was at least a century old and no where near worth anything. Most scrounged up cloth and sewed clumsily into clothing. It went without saying, but having something on my body that still smelled of the laundry soap used to clean it was amazing.

Second, I saw how delicate my features looked. There was a dirt smudge here and there, I must have missed them when I tried to clean off all the dirt I could see off before entering the Academy's grounds so I didn't _completely _look like I was a wayward soul lost from the poorest areas of the whole Soul Society. I knew that I was doomed to fail that goal the moment I entered the Seireitei.

Third, I saw that indeed, I was a good head to half a head shorter than Rukia, who herself wasn't all that tall.

And lastly, but the most stunning for me was that I could see my eyes for the first time in my life. They were beautiful in my opinion, sky blue. A stunning sky blue one second, then the instant I felt a different emotion other then happiness, like if i were concentrating on something in this case, they lightened a shade or two until they became more of an ice blue. My eyes changed shades of blue according to how I was feeling, though it was gradual. I felt like that was pretty impressive, while I silently was proud of that fact.

"Your name does fit you, you know," Rukia gave a small smile, sitting down on her bed as I stood before the mirror, "Even at your young age...you are really beautiful. When the light hit's your hair, it looks like it glows..."

I was so flattered by her complement that I blurted, "You l-look b-better...than me though...Rukia."

She laughed softly, "Well, thank you, Misami."

I smiled lightly, sitting down on my bed, "Do...Do I go to sleep now?"

Rukia picked up my schedule, inspecting it for a bit "You have me for your first class. And I want to be there early so I can setup the area for the training. Do you want to go with me for that or do you want to sleep in until the class is supposed to start?"

"If it's alright with you," I said, sitting down on my own bed across from hers, "Id like to go with you when you leave."

"Alright then!" Rukia said, grinning, "The you should probably get some sleep while you can."

"Okay," I nodded, laying down on top of the soft and comfortable bed, "And Rukia?"

"Yes, Misami?" Rukia asked.

I was already drifting into the blissful unconsciousness, but what I did say before a fell asleep was, "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Even though I had been through hell and back throughout my childhood, I had tried my best not to hate the world for my unfortunate circumstances. Most around me were jaded, pessimistic, and cruel. I was always going to realistic in my expectations, but I didn't want to cross the line over into pessimism. That was because the kids that I used to live with in a sort of child run orphanage were always positive. Because they were positive like that all the time, I was able to realize that I was actually enjoying time with them when before I was almost completely emotionless and distant from reality. It was because of them that I was able to smile again after surviving on my own for years while running away from men and monsters.

That was why I was, admittedly, far more mature than I should be given my position in society. That was why I found it within myself to give everyone the benefit of the doubt before I hated them for what they were while not knowing _who _they were. That was why I found myself growing attached to the one that had given me my name. She was like a big sister to me already. I felt truly happy at the thought of Rukia feeling like I was her younger sister in return...

Then the world faded away as I fell softly asleep. And there was another first in there: It was the first time I fell asleep with a smile on my face in my life.


	2. First Day

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update! I made the chapter extra long to make up for that. This is my first Bleach fic, so please review!**

***This chapter had been edited since its original release"**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only my OCs, and this story's original plot and ideas. **

I was running. Men, big and scary men with clubs and crude swords, were chasing me. I was breathless, my heart beating against my small chest. My physically eight-year-old legs felt like lead. The food I stole from my persuers was clutched in my trembling hand. I ran for what seemed like forever, until I came upon my makeshift hideout. A rat tunnel-like cave, so small that I barely fit into it now. I squeezed into the cave and curled into a ball, trembling terribly. Then sobs racked my tiny body. I was so scared, hungry, sad, mad, and pained that it was all I could do. Even though the gruff and mad voices of the men still on my trail reached my ears, I didn't care. I wanted it all to be over so bad that I just clutched my white hair and screamed. Screamed while I cried. Until my throat nearly tore itself away, making my voice far more softer then it once was.

Then their arms seemed to shatter through the solid walls of my sanctuary and gripped my shoulder. And true terror flooded through me.

* * *

"Misami! Misami, wake up!" Rukia's concerned laced voice cut through my screaming.

I jolted awake from the nightmare that always plagued my sleep, my throat feeling almost as torn as the last time Id had that nightmare. I looked up at Rukia's worried face. I muttered something to assure her I was alright, and rose from my soft bed. Rukia rose with me, obviously not buying it.

I took a few deep breaths and looked her in the eyes, "Something's...should never...be repeated."

She saw the look in my eyes, and seemed to recognize something and nodded, "I know...Come on, we got to get to my class room."

"...Okay," I slowly nodded and took a deep breath. I went and grabbed the white and red accented shirt of my uniform and put it on over my red under shirt, then tucked it into my uniform's trousers. The socks and sandals soon followed. Rukia looked over me to make sure I'd put them on right and nodded her approval.

We exited our dorm and went into the hall. I heard snoring from Ichigo's room. I gave a small smile, barely noticeable, and shook my head. The sun hadn't even come up yet, which meant we must've gotten up extremely early to reach the place where Rukia will be teaching. We passed through the halls in general silence, the only noise being made was our foot falls on the wooden floors. Rukia seemed focused, but excited. This must been something she expected to have fun with, since I couldn't imagine teaching a bunch of First Years to be entertaining unless you had another reason. Or you just liked to see how utterly they would fail at Kidō.

I, for one, was slightly nervous. The entrance exam I took made me realize that controlling my spiritual pressure to make a ball of energy was somewhat difficult, not to mention forming Kidō or memorizing incantations. But I had a good memory. The other aspects, like Zanjutsu, were easy enough. It was easy for me for one reason or another, despite my relative age. I even accidentally pulled off something called a "Flash Step", some how. But I still didn't know how I'd done it, so I couldn't rely on it consistently yet.

"What're you thinking about, Misami?" Rukia's noble voice cut through my train of thought. Her saying my name had immediately made my heart swell with joy, especially since she had used my new name so casually, as if it wasn't only twenty-four hours old.

"N-Nothing," I responded, "Just a...little nervous about...how well I'll do...in Kidō."

She laughed, "I wouldn't worry about it one bit. Even if you can't do it, it's my job to help you with anything I can. And I'm pretty good at Kidō, if I do say so myself."

"Thanks, Rukia..." I said, a little less worried but still nervous.

Training room was a wide open area with a line for students to stand at, and target dummies on the other end. Grass expanded throughout the area and the morning sky was overhead instead of a roof. I liked this as opposed to the class room I thought it would be. It was less imposing and didn't make me feel as small as I was. There was a couple of noble early-risers entering through the door ten minutes after us. They seemed to be engrossed in their own conversation, but I knew that they had seen me right when they'd entered the training area.

"Oh," Rukia said, smacking her forehead, lightly, "Crap, I forgot some things at the room. Can you watch things for me while I grab them, Misami?"

"Of course...Rukia," I gave a small smile, "What're...friends for?"

"You're the best!" Rukia called, running out of the room before flashing away as soon as she passed through the doors.

The two nobles looked at the door Rukia left through then at me. There was something in their eyes that made me feel like I was doing something wrong. That look of disapproval always fell on me when nobles knew where I came from, but that usually was the end if it. But these noble girls were walking towards me, analyzing me with their piercing gazes in such a way that made me feel as if I were naked. They were far enough out of earshot that they didn't hear my conversation with Rukia, so I don't know what set them towards me but they were soon a mere two feet away from me.

One was taller then the other by an inch, while both were at least a half foot above Rukia's height. Making them at least a foot taller than me. With the high-and-mighty sneer that always infuriated so many of the students from the Rukkon, they looked down on me as if I were not worth the dust on their sandals. The taller one had brown hair that went down to her shoulders and brown eyes, and the shorter had blonde hair that went down to her shoulder blades and green eyes. They were both obviously nobles, all posture while I stood up straight but didn't have as perfect posture as they did. The taller one had her arms crossed over her chest while the other had her hands on her hips. Their uniforms seemed to be pressed and dry cleaned, while I hadn't bothered with that yet since I didn't know how to wash clothes all that well. They looked to be the physical age of about sixteen or seventeen.

The shorter one spoke it a regal tone, "So you got it in good with the teacher, Rukkon Trash? Is that how the likes of you got here?"

Taller one sneered, "That's the only way such scum could be in the same class as us. Because there is no way this thing is our equal."

I was used to the names that they were calling, and how they were trying to make me feel, I was numb to it after centuries of it. It got old real quick. I merely gave a small smile, though I was very irritated on the inside, "Hello...good morning."

The shorter one nearly recoiled, looked incredulously at me, "Did you just talk to us? What makes you think that scum like you can talk to us?"

I merely shrugged, "Because...it's polite? ...Respe...ctful?"

The taller one slapped me hard across my face, so hard I almost toppled over, "Never speak to us as if you're better!"

I recomposed myself with as much dignity as I could, "...Sorry..."

"We're watching you, scum," The shorter one growled, "So you best keep your distance."

"...Of...course," I said, with a small breath. Then they turned and left me to return to probably gossiping in the corner. I just stood there, I drew my hand to my cheek, which still burned with stinging pain from the taller one's strike. I massaged the wound and sighed. The pain wasn't what bothered me. Pain was normal for me and others who lived through what I had. It was just how rude and insensitive they had been. Normally, I never had to deal with the nobles messing with me because I never did anything other than be in their sight. But to end up being struck in the face for being polite was not what I was used to. To even have the slightest notion of anyone being angry at me of all souls for no reason in the Soul Society was new to me for that matter. I guess it was one of the reasons why I hated being the center of attention.

"Are you okay?" Rukia's voice shook me out of my confused daze.

"Huh?" I stuttered, trying to sound way happier and energetic than I felt, only to sound incredibly weak and pitiful in the end, "Oh..h-hey Rukia! Y-Yeah...I'm fine."

"You sure?" Ichigo's voice sounded behind Rukia. I turned to look and saw him walking behind Rukia in the same uniform as I was, only it was fitted his enormously tall frame and had blue accents instead of red. He looked concerned for me, like he'd known me forever and was worried about me.

"I...yeah...I-I'm sure," I said stuttering as my confusion on Ichigo's concern spilled over with what I was about to say.

"You're hurt, Misami," Rukia said flatly, looking at my bruising cheek while I held it.

"It's nothing...really," I said, cursing myself for the childish sound of my voice. It made me sound so weak, so helpless. Even though I knew I was not. Ichigo moved past Rukia as she stopped in front of me and gently moved my hand way from my cheek. He eyed it with an angry look to his eyes.

"Who was it?" Ichigo asked kindly, looking into his eyes. I wanted to trust him with the answer, but I didn't want those two nobles on my case again. I shyly turned my head away, avoiding his gaze. He sighed and turned to Rukia.

"Misami," Rukia said in a somewhat commanding tone. I looked up at her. She looked right into my eyes with a pleading expression, "Whoever it is, if they threatened you, they wont be able to hurt you. Ichigo and I will protect you, because you're our friend."

"What...c-can you do...though? They're...nobles," I said softly, sounding defeated.

"You forget, Misami, that I am a noble, and the sister of the head of the Kuchiki clan," Rukia gently smiled, "And I know a lot of people that can help with anything dealing with nobles at all levels."

"And I guess you don't know that I don't let my friends get hurt," Ichigo gruffly added.

"Umm..." I said, conflicted, "Am I...your friend...Ichigo?"

A bemused smile crossed his face, and touched his eyes, "And friend of Rukia's is a friend of mine. Plus you remind me of my little sister."

I couldn't help but let out a small smile. Another friend, another person who actually cared about me. "Thank you, Ichigo...and the ones...who hit...me were those two...girls over there..."

Ichigo and Rukia followed my gaze and saw the two nobles across the room, gossiping and snickering as if nothing had happened. Rukia analyzed them from where she stood. Ichigo seemed as if he was about to go over to them and slap them upside the head.

Rukia noticed this, and a good thing too, since the rest of the class was now starting to file into the room, "Calm down, Ichigo. I have a plan."

"It better work, or that's plan B," He growled under his breath.

"Fine," She whispered, then turned to me, "You don't worry about them, not yet."

"...Okay," I slowly nodded.

She gave me a smile then turned to the gathering class of First Years, her face hardening into an authoritative, commanding mask, "Good morning, class. I am Rukia Kuchiki, and I will be your teacher until your original teacher is healthy again. This class, in case you can't read the name on your schedules, is Beginning Kidō. Today, you will be learning to perform level one spells. There are three types of Kidō: Hado, Bakudo, and healing Kidō, which is optional. If there are no questions, let us begin."

I watched as Rukia gave each one of the large class' student a number from one to four and had them get into line in that order. I ended up in group four, with a large and protective Ichigo sitting right beside be. He was acting like he'd just met me, making sure that I was alright. Of course, since I was a helpless child. Others of my group gave me sideways glances, then their gaze drafted to the carrot-top next to me. Compared to him, I looked as if I were five. Ichigo's amber eyes were commanding and fierce, his seemingly permanent scowl scarring his masculine features. He gushed power, as if he had no idea how to control his enormous spiritual pressure. Some of the closer ones seemed light headed because of it.

But whispers spread quickly, and soon it seemed as if the whole class was talking about me and Ichigo.

"Is that Ichigo Kurosaki? There's no way."

"Is that the prodigy next to the orange haired one? She looks pretty messed up to me."

"I heard that the white haired girl's been recruited by a Captain! Can you believe that?"

"The orange haired one looks pissed, the girl too. Man, they look like they've seen some stuff, huh?"

"I wonder how good the girl will do. I've always wanted to see a prodigy up close."

"The teacher keeps looking the carrot-top, I wonder what's up with that?"

"Maybe we should-"

"Group 1!" Rukia's commanding noble tone shut down the whispers like a switch, "Step forward onto the line!"

"Yes ma'am!" They yelled back, scrambling to the white in front of where they sat. They stood straight up with their hands at their sides awaiting further commands. At this point I saw that the two nobles from earlier where in this group and my gaze stayed on them. In the corner of my eye, I saw Ichigo staring daggers at them too. I gently, without realizing it, wrapped my arms around Ichigo's arm and gave it a meek squeeze. For some reason or another, it was really reassuring. I guess if I looked at Rukia as a big sister, then I looked at Ichigo like I would a big brother. Being able to feel the muscles in his arms from beneath his shirt being pulled taunt by his clenching fist made me feel like he could take out anything that tried to hurt. I rested my hurting cheek on his arm soon after, but only for a moment since our turn was coming up.

He looked down at me and flashed a smiled to reassure that it was alright. I nodded and looked to Rukia, who was teaching the incantations for the Kidō. I'd already memorized it by the time the third group was up though. Ichigo looked like he knew what to do too. Sort of.

"Group Four!" Rukia yelled, "To the line!"

"..." I tried to yell back a response with all the others but a small squeaking sound came out instead. Ichigo just scowled.

I quickly made my way to the line and stood with my feet shoulder width apart and ready for the command.

"Perform Bakudō No. 1!"

I pointed with my index finger and middle finger together at a target and said calmly, "Bakudō No. 1: Sai!"

Immediately my target's arms were pinned against it's back. Perfect. Ichigo's also was finished, just not as quickly. The rest were either completely wrong, had the arms pinned the wrong way, or it had not worked much at all. Rukia smiled at me and Ichigo as we moved back to our original places. I'd smiled back briefly and then went back to a straight face. Next was Hadō. The offensive spells. Something I rather enjoyed the thought of.

"Group 1!"

"Yes ma'am!" They yelled, scrambling for the line once more, however they were more organized this time.

As groups two and three took their turns I just relaxed and waited for the day to be over. The rest of the Kidō class blazed by, with everyone except Ichigo and I mostly having to revisit either Hadō No. 1 or Bakudō No. 1, or both. It goes without saying, Ichigo and I were the only ones out of that class to flawlessly execute both spells one the first attempt. The two noble girls eyed me with hatred through the entire class, and started to do the same for Ichigo as soon as they figured out that he was both at my level(even though he had to be at least Captain level from the spiritual pressure he was giving off), and on my side. But all things must come to an end and I was soon saying a good bye to both Ichigo, and Rukia. I was nervous about walking through the halls without either of them. The insecure child inside of me was nervous that the two nobles would attack me on my way there, while my mind told me knew that I could easily use the new Kidō to protect myself. This debate continued as I walked eye level to almost everyone's hips and stomachs on my away to my next class.

I looked at the piece of paper that had my schedule written on it. Every one of my classes were Advanced. And from what I've seen, it seems I'll be allocated up at least a few years ahead in at least Kidō. The other classes, like before Kidō, I had no idea if I could surpass the First Years in Zanjutsu, or the many other classes that were for combat. The History classes should be easy, since my memory was at least a little exceptional.

I arrived at my history class and quietly sat down at my designated seat. I was early, and only about two or three other students were there. I stared down at my hands as they lay in my lap. I felt the students looking at me out of the corner of their eyes. Expressions of awe and jealousy oozed from their spiritual pressures.

Thankfully, the teacher was prompt and as soon as the last student sat down, he began his lesson. I absorbed all the information easily, having no need for notes. While almost everyone else was furiously scribbling down the most important facts, I sat and merely listened. I probably had a bored expression on my face through the entire class. Some students looked at me and frowned at how easy I made it look, but others seemed to be jealous of my abilities.

To my dismay, I was already getting used to those looks.

* * *

Next was Zanjutsu. Sword combat.

I wondered to myself if this might go the opposite of what my day had been so far. The constant looks I was getting from everyone was starting to become normal to me, of course. Now I had to just see if I was naturally proficient at swords. I walked through the classroom, which actually was a dojo-like training hall, and saw a familiar carrot-top.

I instantly was relieved and smiled as I ran for him with arms spread wide for a hug, "He...Hey, Ichigo!"

Ichigo, who was furiously arguing with another First Year, turned to look in the direction of my voice. He instantly smiled warmly at my happy face, "Hey, Misami!"

I ran right into him and jumped up, hugging his torso tightly while my legs hung a good foot above the ground. I heard the First Years start to chuckle at my display of affection and I dropped back down to the ground. They only laughed louder when I gave them my most furious look, which wasn't that intimidating at all. But I saw Ichigo's twitching eyebrow, and I decided to do something about it.

"I didn't know the great Ichigo Kurosaki was a lolicon!" One laughed

I lifted my hands in the right position, and muttered calmly, "Bakudo No. 1. Sai."

The First Year's arms contorted behind his back and he collapsed onto the ground face first. Ichigo, with a proud expression on his face, looked down at me. The First year struggled against the Kidō, but to no avail. While Ichigo and I casually caught up on how each other's day went, I left the Kidō in effect until the teacher called out to the class as it was about to start. With a discrete flick of the wrist, the Kidō dissipated and the First Year rose slowly to his feet.

"Alright!" The old looking man hollered, "This is Zanjutsu! Today we will be pairing you up according to the skills you displayed during the entrance exam and we will keep those teams unless there are those of you special cases that get to leave early! First pair will be the two highest scoring in the areas of flash step and basic instinct, as well as all other respective areas! Ichigo Kurosaki and...Misami Tsukino!"

All I could do was given a small smile. Ichigo was easily one of the strongest in possibly the entire Academy and beyond. He had the power level that was at minimum, Captain level, and had extraordinary fighting skills. To learn the art of sword fighting from him was most likely the best thing to happen to me in this class. We tuned out the shouts of the old instructor and headed over to our designated sparring area after we were issued bokkens, which were practice swords.

"Ready!" The instructor said, "Begin!"

Ichigo smiled and lifted his sword above his head and brought it down in a cleaving motion. I gripped the hilt of my sword and put the palm of my other hand behind the end of the weapon and braced for the impact just before his strike hit. Shock waves resounded through my small child body as he struck, and waves of air flooded away from the impact as I used some of my spiritual pressure to keep the wooden sword from snapping under the power of Ichigo Kurosaki. He lifted his sword and prepared for another strike, but from the side. I pivoted and jumped up, torquing my body to add more speed. As I rose to about his chest area and temporarily hung there, I lashed out at his side with all the power I could muster. To my surprise, Ichigo instinctively redirected his sword to deflect mine. Then I retracted my sword as I fell, still spinning pretty quickly. As I landed, I extended my sword arm and my weapon contacted with Ichigo's shin as I landed like a ninja with my legs crouched, my free hand stabilizing me as it rested on the ground, and my weapon extended.

Ichigo groaned in pain as my weapon contacted his bone, but soon ignored it as he again brought down his sword in a cleaving motion. I twisted and swung my sword to meet his. My sword hit his sword on the side, deflecting his blow so that in crashed into the wooden floors inches to my right. The air displaced by the whooshing blow blew my hair in a dramatic way, as the floors split and splintered from Ichigo's attack. While he hefted his weapon from the floor I jumped on top of the sword and pointed mine at his throat. It didn't reach his neck by probably one or two feet, since I was so dang short. Ichigo flicked his sword sideways and I tumbled down to the ground. As I fell, I went with the spin Ichigo had given me and rolled away from him as I landed on the hard wooden floors. But I rolled the wrong way, and directly into the splintered floor crater Ichigo had just made. The jagged floor board sliced a deep gash across my cheekbone, and felt as if it embedded itself into my skull. Then as I rolled away, the floorboard tore away. The cut was agonizing, and probably had at least five splinters embedded into it.

"Are you okay!?" Ichigo stared at me as I slowly staggered to my feet. "Do you need to stop?"

I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore the pain, "No...let's finish this match...then we can worry...about me."

"Rukia will probably hate me for encouraging you," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "But I love that fighting spirit you've got. Just be careful, okay, Misami?"

"Gotcha!" I said, wiping away the blood running down my right cheek.

I jumped up as I charged, and brought down my sword in a cleaving motion, mimicking Ichigo's technique. He lifted his sword and blocked it with ease and pushed forward. He used so much more strength then I thought he did, since that strength sent me backflipping down to the ground. By some lucky strike, I landed like a cat on my feet and instantly lowered myself to make it harder for Ichigo to hit me. He swung at my ankles, and I jumped. But I jumped way too early and landed on his sword.

Had I been older and heavier, it would have worked out perfectly, and his sword would be driven into the ground. But since I was still a child practically, the speed of Ichigo's swing brought me with it. I crashed down onto my hip and then my side. The breath was knocked out of me as I hit.

And in the moment of shock, when I couldn't move, I felt Ichigo's wooden sword gently tap onto my throat, "I win."

"G-Good job...Ichigo..." I smiled, hoping he wouldn't notice how disappointed I was in myself.

He smiled widely, a rare occurrence indeed, "You did pretty dang well yourself, Misami. That's an impressive technique you have. Where did you learn it?"

"I grew up...in Hanging Dog. I wouldn't be...alive if I didn't know...how to fight...I don't remember...where I learned the...technique...Sorry. "

A torrent of memories from my 'home' flooded my vision and I clutched my head with my free hand to try and stop the swirl of painful emotion that came with those memoirs.. Of me having to scrape out an existence and steal food just to survive. To hide constantly from almost everyone. The family I'd had was a bunch of kids my age, with physical ages of seven to ten. They all died off one after the other. I was alone for at least a century before the Captain had found me, not trusting myself to another family for fear that I would lose them too. I remembered having to fight grown-ups so that they would be distracted long enough for my friends to steal food from their stands. I remembered burying those same friends. I shook my head, shaking off the memories. I looked up at Ichigo's concerned face.

"Misami Tsukino! Ichigo Kurosaki!" I heard the instructors voice bellow.

I looked around and realized the entire class had been starring at us as we had spared. They looked shocked. Ichigo helped me to my feet as I held my lacerated cheek gingerly. The instructor slowly made his way over to us. I was glad this was one of my final classes, because I don't know if I could stand being the center of attention all hours of the day.

"You two shall report to the Headmaster's office. He as a message he would like to personally give you."

"Yeah," Ichigo said casually, "Fine."

I remained silent and followed the carrot top as we exited the training room. We tossed our bokkens at a couple of students as we exited through the doors. The trip there was spent in silence, since I had no idea how to start a conversation all that well, and I was also busy think of what if done to cause the Headmaster of the entire Soul Reaper Academy request an audience with Ichigo and me. Whatever I did, Ichigo must've also done that same deed, since he was also seeming to ponder the meaning of our summoning. We passed through the wing we were in and slowly descended the steps to the first floor and continued on the the front office.

It was beautifully decorated, with traditional Japanese banzai trees and decorations. The secretary directed us into the Headmasters office and closed the door behind us. The was a beautiful Banzai tree on the corner of his desk, and a cup of freshly brewed tea. The Headmaster beamed at Ichigo and I, and we both looked at him with puzzled looks, still wondering what was going to happen.

"I knew that I would get to do this, since you both displayed such astonishing raw skill," The wide man chuckled, "Well, I expected as much from you, Mr. Kurosaki, but not that you, Miss Tsukino, would be so close behind him. I would like to congratulate you both. You have been reallocated to Sixth Year classes in all subjects. Your graduation dates will be at the end of this school year."

I was speechless as Ichigo just shrugged, speaking as if it wasn't a big deal, "Alright, then. Can we go back to our rooms then?"

"Of course," The Headmaster said, "And just so you know, you will be issued Asuchi during tomorrow's Zanjutsu."

I nodded and Ichigo and I left the room. During the trip back I couldn't help but smile to myself. Sooner, five years sooner, I would be free of this place and a Soul Reaper.

I would be strong enough to protect those I loved.


	3. The Next Step

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, I had some pretty bad writer's block for a good week, so I didn't get this done as fast as I would have liked to. But nonetheless, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please Review, since this is my first Bleach FanFiction! Enjoy!**

***This chapter has been edited since its original release***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only this story and my OC. **

I went to the healing Kidō teacher to fix the jagged gash on my cheek on my way back to my dorm room. He looked concerned when I didn't tell him how I'd gotten it, but he gladly ailed my wound. What was left was a pale scar with a slight twinge of pink to it. It stood out from my pale skin, but I just adjusted my bangs to cover that side of my face, which ended up covering my right eye in the process. The teacher had removed the splinters and cleaned the dried blood from my face. My uniform still had blood stains on the collar below my wound, tainting the white of the uniform a dark crimson.

I was glad that it only left an easily concealable scar, but I still wished it could have healed away without one. I decided not to think about it too much, since I didn't really think it mattered much to me. Beauty wasn't exactly one of the things that I placed priority on. I supposed it was because I'd grown up in the Rukkon, where the standards of living made anesthetics unnecessary.

I blinked, my train of thought cut off as soon as I realized I'd turned the door-knob to my dorm. I barely remembered leaving the healing Kido teacher's room.

I entered my dorm room and top of my uniform off, leaving me in only the red under kimono top and equally red trousers. I plopped down onto my bed and almost instantly fell asleep right then. Something about the bedding and the fabric making me want to instantly call it a day despite the fact that I was perfectly rested. IT was strange, since I never felt safe enough to think about something like that. Usually, I would be too worried about being kidnapped or killed for my stuff in my sleep until my body forced me to sleep.

But, I remembered that it probably would be a good idea to clean up the messy room before I lost consciousness. I didn't want Rukia to spend her entire day working only to come back to a messy room. I know I hated doing that back home, even going so far as to make the kids that I survived with as a makeshift family to keep our hideout clean as much as possible. Though it was mostly through me silently egging them on by simply doing it myself and guilting them into helping me.

After fifteen minutes of cleaning up as best I could, which admittedly wasn't very well, I slipped into the shower to wash away the remaining dried blood. I comically had a hard time reaching the knob to turn on the shower, but I eventually accomplished the task much to my relief. With the cascade of hot water that followed, I felt an extremely small smile tug at my lip when I thought about how today had turned out.

I had been thinking of this day for about two centuries now. My 'family' had advised against it every time I brought it up over the meager campfire we usually had at night. Even though they were at the physical age of eight at ten least, and twelve at the most, they had a deep set hatred for the Soul Reapers. I was the baby of the group, about two physical years behind everyone else, but I wasn't treated any different. We were all delinquents, after all. Those days were easier then when I was left alone, since I had the protection of my 'family'.

"Misami?" Rukia called from the entrance with the opening of the door. "That you in there?"

"Y-Yes!" I called back, my squeaking like it did when I raised it too high, "I-I'll be out...in j-just a minute!"

"Alright!" Rukia said, and soon after the sound of her dropping her things onto her bed.

I quickly finished washing up, roughly drying myself and throwing on a fresh pair of uniform trousers and red under kimono. I brushed my teeth with difficulty, since it was probably the first time in a century since I had tooth paste and a brush instead of a leaf to scrape away the gunk. I grabbed the brush and began to run it through my white hair. Once that was finished, I finally exited the bathroom to see a very focused Rukia sitting on her bed with one leg handing over the edge.

She was reading a high level Kido book very intensely as I sat on my bed, which was on the other side of the room and parallel to her's. I smiled warmly as I spoke, "What are...you reading, Rukia?"

"Oh," She closed the book gently, "I've been a Lieutenant for a long while now and I think I can try out the Captain level Kido to see if my ability has stretched that far. Do you want to talk about how today went?"

"Oh," I smiled, shyly looking at my lap, "I did well in...all my classes."

"How well?" Rukia gently prodded.

"I've been moved to...the Sixth year...with Ichigo," I said with a small smile.

Rukia beamed, "I'm so proud of you, Misami!"

I blushed, trying hard to look her in the eye, but was strangely unable to with how she was praising me, "Never had anyone be...proud of me in my entire...life."

She shook her head, "That's too bad. Why wasn't your family proud of you at all?"

I froze at the mention of my family, "I...uh...they're dead..."

Rukia's face was heavy with sympathy as she slowly made her way over to me. She sat next to me and pulled me into a hug, "I'm sorry, Misami. I know what it's like. To lose your family when you're only children. It's why you became a Soul Reaper, huh?"

"How'd you know...?" I asked.

"It was why a friend and I joined the Soul Reapers. I was sick of Hanging Dog. My whole family had died and I wanted to live in the Seireitei. I wanted out."

"Well, then you kind of know how feel," I sounded unsure at best.

"I think we are exactly the same, you and I," Rukia smiled. "We both have lost our family in the 78th District. We both grew up in Hanging Dog."

"Yeah..." I trailed off, looking down at my clenching fist that now laid in my lap.

"Hey," Rukia said softly, "Do you think we were ever close back in Hanging Dog, but we just never met?"

I smiled, "Maybe."

"Well, Misami, I'll always be your family," Rukia smiled, gently shoving me on the shoulder, "I was always wanting a sister after all."

"You...You mean it?"I said, my eyes sparkling with hope while my mouth opened in disbelief at her words.

"Yes," Rukia smiled, nodding, "C'mon! I think my Chappies just came in!"

As Rukia started to drag me towards the door, I blinked, "C-Chappy?"

Rukia stopped dead in her tracks, "You don't know who Chappy is?"

I shook my head. Rukia's mouth cracked into a smile slowly, before she started to drag me even faster. Every student we passed, with varying number of Years, had the same reaction of passive amusement as they saw Rukia literally drag my small frame through the entire Academy at least three times as she tried to find where the had delivered her "Chappies". She seemed to be either extremely attached to them, or had a strange obsession with them. Something about the intense look in her eyes gave off that impression, anyway. I simply resolved myself to just waiting until she had found these things, and crossed my arms patiently. After about fifteen more minutes, and a good one hundred strange looks later, we arrived at the front office.

The mail carriers were dropping off three large boxes into the office, one with the label of "Kuchiki, Rukia". Rukia dropped me and ran for those boxes, starting to talk with the mail men about where she needed to sign. I stood at the threshold of the door as I waited for the inevitable asking of a favor to aid Rukia in carrying those boxes all the way back to the dorm room. Just as they had her sign the documents needed, they started a small talk conversation. After all, Rukia was a noble from one of the Four Great Noble Houses. I sighed and started to scan the area for something to satisfy my short attention span. I knew that it would only feel like it took longer if I didn't.

Then the worst two students started to walk toward me from down the hall. Those two noble girls from this morning were gossiping as they regally strode down the hall. Looking at almost every passerby as if they were the bane of their existence. I tried to make my small frame as unnoticeable as possible, but I feared they could very easily spot me, since I was still in only my red under-kimono and red trousers. I was was, for all intensive purposes, sticking out like a sore thumb and I knew it. And so did those nobles, as I heard their conversation halt as they drew closer to me. As if to confirm my fears, they both did indeed halt before me and sneer down at my childish form. I subconsciously shrunk into myself under their harsh gaze. I crossed my arms over my chest defensively, hanging my head. The taller one, her name still unknown to me as well as the other, spoke first.

"Well," She began, "Look who we have here. If it isn't the star pupil of the entire Soul Society, and the biggest kiss-up as well. Is it really true that you are with Ichigo Kurosaki so you can use him to tutor you? Since, of course, trash like you couldn't possibly have done anything without someone like him to help."

"...No..." I said in my pitifully small childish voice, "He and I are...just friends. He hasn't helped me...at all."

"That doesn't explain how you are so close to the Kido teacher," The smaller one butted in, "Because, after all, she is an extremely high ranking noble. She is Lord Byakuya Kuchiki's sister! How could scum like you have such powerful friends and be such a worthless waste?"

Their insults didn't matter, though I found it annoying that they seemed to try and cram them into very sentence like their lives depended on it. I sighed and looked up at them with as must respect as I could, but I doubt it looked like that, "I am as clueless as you are at how I was graced with the friendship of both Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki...But that is no reason to assault me due to your ill-willed jealousy."

Saying so many words right after one another had out a strain on my throat, and I almost ran out of air while speaking. I was able to cover it up, still somehow managing to sound somewhat assertive. Though my discrete wheezing probably didn't go completely unnoticed.

They both looked at me with an astonished look on their faces, the tall one snapping out of it quickly and giving me a look of disgust as she sneered, "How dare you talk back to us! To insult nobles such as us is an unforgivable atrocity to commit for filth like you!"

She instantly raised her hand to strike me just like before. I looked up with a fearful expression, not wanting to be slapped like before. I decided to do something I hadn't thought I would do in my time here at the Academy, to resist the unfair cruelty of these two nobles. To not just run away at the first chance I got.

As the back of the tall noble's hand came nearer and nearer by the millisecond, I felt my hands move into position on auto-pilot. I was surprised at my reaction, knowing the consequences of those actions. They weren't going to forget this anytime soon. Yet, as I now realized, I didn't care. Because I didn't want to live this whole year in fear of the next confrontation with these two, since I was superior to them in frankly every aspect, save age and height. The words that needed to be said were already forming on my tongue, "Bakudo No. 1: Sai."

Both of their arms wretched behind their backs and they fell to the wooden hallway floors in comical face-plants. The sound of their collapse echoed through the halls, undoubtedly the reason why I heard Rukia drop one of her boxes gently and her ensuing footfall. The two nobles looked up at me in disgust as they struggled against the binding of my Kido. They spouted very eloquent curses upon my children and my children's children, then moved on to how despicable a being I was to put them on the ground like I did.

Rukia busted through the door to the office and looked from me to the two nobles, "What happened here?"

I spoke before the two nobles could respond, the trembling in my voice sounding like fear instead of the adrenaline rush I was feeling, "They were going to hit me...like last time. I'm s-sorry that...I used Kido on them, I didn't mean to..."

I flicked my wrist, muttering the words to release the spell. The two nobles' arms shot out as they were released, and they stumbled ungracefully to their feet then bowed in greeting to Rukia as the shorter one spoke, "We apologize, Miss Kuchiki, but this inferior child had disrespected us in the most offensive manner. We had deemed it necessary to enact the correct punishment."

"And that 'correct punishment' was?" Rukia asked in the regal and commanding voice that she had enacted as she taught the Kido this morning, "And was this 'punishment' executed this morning prior to your Kido class and during my absence?"

They both seemed to tremble slightly as Rukia had laced into her statement an under-laying tone of warning that could be mistaken for menace. Then the taller one spoke in an even monotone, "The 'punishment' was in fact a strike to her face, Miss Kuchiki. And yes, we did, ma'am..."

"Under who's authority did you inflict said punishment?" Rukia asked slowly.

"...No one gave us that authority, Miss Kuchiki, we acted of our own volition," The shorter noble said timidly.

Rukia put her hands on her hips and frowned like Ichigo as she spoke, "If I hear of this again, I will do my best to have you both discharged from the Academy. Begone."

The two nobles bowed quickly, then walked swiftly on their way as they avoided Rukia's hard gaze. When they were out of sight, I felt Rukia's gaze shift onto my small, childish form. I slowly looked up at her, worried about what she thought of my use of Kido on the two nobles regardless of the situation. She motioned for me to follow her, and we both headed towards three over-stuffed boxes in the main office. Two were smaller, and the other was about twice as big as them. Rukia hefted the bigger box up, grunting to herself as she did so. I grabbed the other two silently into my small arms and lead the way back to our dorm room. The halls still had many stragglers, some couples, as we made our way to the room.

Rukia's face didn't hold any negative emotions. In fact, it held almost no emotion whatsoever. It unsettled me at her stoic mask of an expression. But as I was noticing this, that mask shattered as she saw someone she recognized. I turned my gaze to see who she'd seen, and I saw none other then the carrot-top's slightly less scowling face.

"Hey, Rukia!" Ichigo called, there were still small blood stains on his blue trousers and blue accented top, "Whatcha got there?"

Rukia blinked, then beamed at him, smirking with pride, "My Chappy collection finally came in today!"

Ichigo scoffed as he drew closer to us and fell in beside Rukia as he spoke, "You are obsessed, Rukia, you know that?"

"I am not!" Rukia shot back.

"Yes," Ichigo chuckled, shaking his head, "You are, Midget."

"And I am not short!" She snapped, "You're just freakishly tall!"

"Whatever," Ichigo's scowl slightly deepened at the insult, "Here, let me get that."

Ichigo gently took the large box from Rukia's arms. As he did so, however, their hands grazed each other. Rukia's face lit up in a fierce blush, her hand flying to her mouth to cover it in embarrassment. Ichigo, though he quickly hid it behind the large box in his grasp, was blushing just as much. I looked over at Rukia with a puzzled look on my face, to which she looked apologetically back at me. I didn't know much, but I knew that some thing was going on between the two of them, even though they may not realize it. I gave Ichigo a discrete and knowing smirk, and then gave Rukia one of the two boxes in my hands so she would have something to do. Ichigo looked kind of annoyed at the look I gave him, hiding his embarrassment with his trademark scowl. Rukia had the same look, like she was fighting to control her emotions while her mind reeled at what to say. I nearly started to laugh at how awkwardly Ichigo spoke as he broke the tense air.

"Uh, s-sorry about that..." Ichigo muttered.

Rukia looked up at him, her cheeks still rosy, "I don't know what you're talking about, Strawberry."

"I swear, Midget," Ichigo shook his head as well, "I don't think I'll ever understand you."

"You two...done?" I said as I cut off Rukia from a retort to Ichigo's insult.

Rukia looked blankly at me, as if she just now remembered I was there, "Uh-yes."

"Good," I gave her my childish smile, then motioned at the door of our dorm as it drew nearer, '''Cause we're back."

As soon as I said that I thought I heard both Rukia and Ichigo sigh in relief, which was why I couldn't help but smile. They said their good-byes, however awkward and embarrassed they were, and left to their opposite rooms. We brought the three boxes into our room and shut the door tightly. We were silent the entire time as we unpacked the many, many Chappy merchandise. I smiled to myself as I saw why Ichigo would think that Rukia was obsessed. Yet, I couldn't help but notice how cute and adorable these things were. After the ten or so minutes it took to unpackage them, I took one from the large pile and hugged it while I hopped onto my bed. The child side of me still craved for petty things like stuffed animals, so I found myself extremely satisfied with the soft and cuddly Chappy. Rukia, of course, noticed this right away as she landed on her own bed with another one and smiled at me.

"I see I'm not alone in my 'obsession' with Chappy!" She said gleefully, making air quotes, "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about earlier today with those two nobles."

My eyes widened as i remembered that situation, and I audibly gulped in anxiousness, "...Y-Yes?"

"I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself," Rukia smiled.

"I...Uh, thanks?" I looked confused, inclining my head and cocking an eyebrow, "I thought you...were mad at me for u-using Kido on them..."

"Well, technically it wasn't allowed to use Kido, however flawlessly executed," Rukia said as a matter-of-factly, "It still made me proud of you nonetheless. When I was in the Academy, I was looked down on by the nobles as well. I didn't object to their insults, though I am glad it wasn't as harmful as what you were going through. Coming from a place like Hanging Dog will attract everyone's attention, good and bad."

"Yes...t-that is true," I sighed, then I thought of something, "Rukia?"

Rukia looked up from a deep hug to her Chappy, "Yes?"

"C-Could you...teach me how to do h-high level Kido?

"Didn't you get reallocated to the Sixth Year?" Rukia questioned, "To Advanced too?"

"Y-Yes?" I sounded unsure, "...Why?"

"Those teach mid-level Kido," Rukia explained, "But I'll make you a deal."

"...What is it?" I asked.

"If you are as good as you were today in Kido with the mid-level that you will learn, then you can learn the high level as I learn it. But you can only use it against your enemies and not fellow Soul Reapers. And only use it if nothing else will work, since it will take a lot of spiritual pressure to use them. But I'm fine with you using the low and mid level Kido at your discretion. Does that sound doable, Misami?"

I nodded, "...I think that...sounds perfect, Rukia."

"Good," She smiled, "So how did Zanjutsu go?"

"Good...I-I think," I shrugged, "My sparing partner...was Ichigo."

Rukia's eyes widened, "_Ichigo_? How did you do?"

"I did...well. I got...cut up a little," I said, twiddling my thumbs.

Rukia looked at me with a cold gaze, "Did he go easy on you at all? Where did you get cut?"

"I don't r-really know, Rukia. Today was...the first time I fought...against him. And...here." I meekly responded, pulling away my bangs so she could see the scar that was left over.

"I can't believe you'd get a scar on your first fight..." Rukia gave me a sly grin. "Make sure this doesn't happen again, okay? You're too beautiful to get these scars!"

I gave her a nervous laugh, "O-Okay!"

"Well," Rukia sighed, her breaths becoming deeper and steady, "Good night, Misami."

"Good night...Rukia," I smiled, just as her violet eyes slowly closed.

* * *

I woke up to a noisy but touching scene. Rukia, though going only to Ichigo's abs, was beating him up with repeated kicks to the shin and punches to his arms and chest. Ichigo, a strong Soul Reaper with the spiritual pressure higher then a generic Captain's, was being submissive to Rukia's assault. I pretended to sleep, but continued to watch. Though, it became increasingly more difficult with each strike Rukia delivered to the freakishly tall carrot-top. With a hard enough punch to the abdomen, Rukia suddenly had Ichigo on the ground and wheezing as he lost his breath. I found it hilarious that such a strong soul, whom I knew had no doubt had been in more than his share of fights because of the match we'd had yesterday, would be brought to his knees by the petite Soul Reaper. As he regained his breath, he instantly mumbled a string of curses including Rukia's height, her drawings and Chappy obsession more or less in the same sentence.

"_What_ did you say?" Rukia gave him a cold stare that seemed to make Ichigo pale.

"I...uh," Ichigo stuttered, drawing a blank.

"He says he's sorry for waking me up...so early with his whining," I grinned as I sat up, earning a smile from both Ichigo and Rukia at my rare use of humor.

"You awake then?" Ichigo asked, no evidence whatsoever that he had a confrontation with the Soul Reaper that was temporarily taller than he thanks to his position.

"Yes...Ichigo," I yawned, stretching contently like a cat, "Morning...Morning, Rukia."

"Good morning, Misami," Rukia smiled ever so softly, a stark contrast to the cold glare she had been giving Ichigo a moment ago, all notions of the carrot-top in question forgotten for the moment, "You remember your schedule is flipped now?"

"Yes," I nodded, "Me and Ichigo have...the same schedule and...it's a reverse of mine. So...I get to end the day with...my favorite Kido teacher!"

Rukia's smile grew at the compliment, "Well, I suppose the two of you should get going. No doubt Ichigo will get you lost, so you might as well give yourself a head start..."

"Hey!" Ichigo snapped.

Rukia turned back to him, shrugging, "It's true, though."

Ichigo looked right at me for support, as if I somehow knew something relevant to the current argument. I merely shrugged, looking apologetically to him, "Sorry..."

Ichigo sighed, finally rising to tower over a triumphantly smirking Rukia, "Well, let's get going Misami. Want to ride on my back? I've seen Yachiru do it with Kenpachi, and it looks like it's fun for her."

I quickly pulled on my now clean over kimono of the Academy uniform and then turned to smile at him, "S-Sure!"

He smiled back, turning around and crouching to make it easier for me, "Hop on, then."

I gladly walked over and jumped lightly onto his broad back, my childishly small frame finding purchase on his uniform as I peeked over his left shoulder. He smiled and started to jog at a nice pace as Rukia watched from our room. But as soon as she was out of sight, I felt my body rip forward as he slipped into an incredibly fast Flash Step. The halls were a blur as Ichigo raced down to the Zanjutsu classroom that his schedule told him to go to. Since I had the same classes as Ichigo now, I felt no need to bring my schedule. Of course, we only got there on time, since we seemed to go in circles before we could finally find the class room. The classroom ended up merely down the hall from our old one, which I Ichigo know very quickly.

"Nice try, Ichi," I rolled my eyes and giggled quietly.

"Hey," He grinned, "I tried, but your directions didn't help any."

I faked a look of shock, "You were one to listen...to those directions, you know. You...didn't _have_ to listen to me, Ichi."

He turned his head to the shoulder I was hanging by and sighed, "Never mind. We did make it on time anyway."

The gong of the morning bell rung tauntingly to prove him wrong. He sighed again and slash stepped into the room. I hopped off his shoulder, my long white hair trailing behind me. The other students, all Six Years, looked over to us. They were either blinking in surprise, looking at us with recognition, or staring at us with a certain distaste. They didn't have long to say anything to us as we heard the voice of the teacher.

"Glad you all could make it back on time class," The teacher yawned, having a much more laid back attitude than Ichigo and I's prior teacher. "As you can see we have two new students that have been moved up from their First Year. They have displayed astonishing skill, if I am to believe the report. Anyway, same partners as yesterday, if you can remember them."

"Yes, sir!" The class said more or less in unison, dispersing into their groups.

That left me and Ichigo, with the latter scowling even deeper then usual, to stand next to each other, waiting rather impatiently for what we should be doing. We didn't have to wait long, since the teacher spoke to us directly, "You two, follow me."

Ichigo, looked to me, then tailed the teacher with me on his heels. He brought us to what looked like a storage room with a multitude of sheathed katanas. Ichigo seemed to know exactly who those were intended for, while I just stared at them. The teacher picked out two, one a bit longer then the other and turned back to us.

"These are Asauchi, Zanpakuto without souls waiting for them to be materialized," The teacher explained, "When you fight with these, your soul will be poured into them and your Zanpakuto will eventually come into existence. As for you, Ichigo Kurosaki, it is likely that your Zanpakuto will merely reform itself and in a sealed state as well. As for you, Misami Tsukino, you will have to go through the entire process since you have had no prior training, save yesterday evening."

I nodded, "How long...will that take?"

The teacher shrugged, "That depends on you and your Zanpakuto. At any rate, I would like you to go with Ichigo and try to create your Zanpakuto along with him. It is possible, with the skills you have displayed in Kido, as well as your old Zanjutsu class, that you could have your Zanpakuto formed on the first try."

I shrugged, just as Ichigo asked the teacher a question, "What are you doing here, Hat-and-Clogs?"

"Yamamoto wanted your old mentor to oversee your training, as well as Misami's since she has shown possibly as much potential as you." The teacher said.

Ichigo groaned, "...Whatever."

We turned and left the storage room and sat cross-legged against the wall, our new swords in our lap. Ichigo looked at me with a small, rare smile and then closed his eyes. Hanging his head, an aura of blue spiritual pressure emanated from him and started to flow into the katana. Soon it began to glow too, until the entire thing was a glowing katana-shaped light rod. I stared at the sword, mesmerized by the display. When the light began to fade I noticed the differences. The sheath was black, and it had grown a good three to five inches. The hilt was traditionally wrapped, with black bindings and dark red showing from underneath. There were two inch long tassels of red hanging from the end. The guard was decorated with crescent shaped carvings. It was a very intimidating blade.

"So how...am I supposed to do _that_?" I asked as I continued to stare at the long sword.

Ichigo shrugged, "You just pour your soul into it. It's like Kido, really. Just let it flow into the sword instead of your hands, I guess."

I exhaled, trying to concentrate on the relatively small blade in my lap, "Okay...Here goes nothing..."

I felt my spiritual pressure flow into the blade, feeling like I was charging up an incredibly strong Kido attack. It felt like a strange mix between Hado and Bakudo, as I closed my eyes to shut out the looks I was getting from the class. I saw on the backs of my eyelids that my new blade was glowing, though I couldn't tell what color it was. It began to heat up slightly in my small lap, but not to an unpleasant temperature. There were some gasps of astonishment from the class as the light seemed to intensify. The blade shifted slightly in my lap, lengthening and reshaping to, what I hoped to be, its new form. Suddenly, I felt the weight of the sword double, and it seemed to widen to twice its size. That caused many more gasps of surprise and all sparring to halt as I felt all the attention on me. Then I heard something that would have made me blink if my eyes had been open to begin with. It was a voice inside my head, whispering like a soft breeze.

_Hello, Master Misami, _the soft voice seemed to wisp through my mind, _I'm glad that you can finally hear me. _

_Who's this? _I thought back, testing to see if I had gone crazy.

_I am your Zanpakuto, _The voice replied, _Though it is too early to tell you my name. But know that I am here for you. I have been with you for a long time, and I know what you've gone through. _

_Why can't you tell me your name? _I asked.

_I can't tell you because you haven't earned the power it brings, _The Zanpakuto explained, _B__ut if you continue at the pace you have shown, it will not be too long for that to happen, Master. _

_How long will that be, then? _I asked.

_It merely depends on if I find you worthy of my name, _the sword said. _But judging by the fact that you've skipped a good year of fighting with me and imprinted your soul into me so I could talk to you to begin with, I wouldn't be surprise if you proved yourself. _

I mentally sighed as I conceded to the fact, _Fine, but you'll let me know when I earn that, right?_

Somehow I knew she was nodding and smiling, _Of course, Master._

"Misami?" Ichigo's voice held a mix of pride and worry, "You okay?"

My eyes shot open, and the light burned my eyes, "Yeah...I'm good."

"Well," Ichigo broke his scowl just a moment, "You did it, Misami."

I blinked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion, "Did what?"

Ichigo pointed down at my small lap. I looked at my Zanpakuto. Or, rather, both of my Zanpakuto. Two identical swords sat in my lap in place of the Asauchi the teacher had given me. They had black sheaths, with white markings. The hilt was wrapped the same as Ichigo's, but was white where his was black, and black where his was red. The tassels where the same, but they were a a nice sky blue. The guard was decorated with gracefully curved lines. The blades were slightly longer than when I had first received the sword, to the perfect size. I smiled at my blades, smirking as I had a vague idea of how rare duel Zanpakuto were in the Soul Society. Every white part of the sword seemed to be glowing, and shifting in brightness so that it looked as if there was a current. One of the two blades had a white, bandage like strap attached to it. It looked too small to sling it over my shoulder, but it was big enough to wrap around my waist. And the other blade had a black cloth-like strap that was interupted by a buckle like wooden rectangle with a vortex-like symbol carved into it. This one looked big enough to sling over my shoulder, however.

"Misami Tsukino," the teacher announced, "I'd like to congratulate you. You have done a seemingly impossible task on your first attempt. I'd say I'm glad you have Ichigo to keep you in check. Otherwise, I fear you would have no real opponents, save the teachers of course. I am Kisuke Urahara."

"P-Pleased to meet you, Mr. Urahara," I bowed my head slightly, since I was still sitting with my Zanpakuto in my lap, contrasting starkly with my red trousers.

"She did it on the first try!?"

"Isn't she like ten?"

"Aren't there only two other dual base Zanpakuto?"

"Just what in the world _is _she?"

He smiled then turned to the class, their whispers quieting, "Alright, everyone back to work."

The class once again dispersed and soon the clash of blades resounded through the classroom. Ichigo helped me up, as I grabbed both of my swords by their straps. Ichigo had already strapped his large blade to his back, the hilt looming over his right shoulder. I rose and we slowly made our way to an open space so we could spar.

"Ready?" Ichigo smiled, "Cause last time we did this you got a bad scar and I got enough bruises for an entire squad."

I smirked back, "Yeah...just gimme a second."

"'Course," He said.

I smiled then set down the sword that had the black strap, and held the one with the white gingerly.

_You were right in assuming it goes around your waist, _my Zanpakuto chimed in, _It should be behind you, parallel with your back, so that the hilt is sticking out past your hip. _

_Thank you_, I thought back, doing as she instructed, _And the black one goes on my back?_

_Correct, Master, _I could tell she was nodding. I quickly slung the blade onto my back and positioned it like Ichigo had his sword.

Once I finished securing my Zanpakuto, I looked over to Ichigo, whom was waiting patiently.

"Ready?"

"Anytime," I smirked, my right hand going to the hilt at my shoulder, and my left to the one at my hip, then drew the two of them in a fluid motion out.

Ichigo smirked and unsheathed his Zanpakuto, the long blade shining from light peeking through the window, "I will teach you, Misami, how to _really _fight your enemies."

I smirked back, "Bring it on."


	4. The Exam

The first semester I spent at the Academy seemed to fly by, dotted with large strides towards my ultimate goal to be a Soul Reaper. I excelled at Kido, and now at Zanjutsu thanks to a certain carrot-top Captain-to-be. Rukia ended up teaching our advanced class as well, not that either Ichigo or I were complaining. The days soon blurred together and I fell into a routine along side Rukia and Ichigo. My relationship with the two Soul Reapers only grew, and I saw them as family now. The closest people to my heart. That spot had been reserved for my "family" back in Hanging Dog, and was vacant for a century until now. I, like I knew they would do for me, would do anything for them if it is in my power. We spent all kinds of time together, and the more we did, the more I thought of them as family. They were my idols, Rukia for her ascension from being a child in the 78th Rukkon to being the sister of the head of the Kuchiki Clan, and Ichigo for his strength. To me, they could do no wrong.

Rukia had been shocked at the sight of my new duel Zanpakuto. Her expression was priceless, really. Because, like Ichigo, Rukia rarely smiled and was always serious. I found myself to be like them as I spent more time with them, saving my happiness and displays of affection only for them. I became stronger under Ichigo's teaching, and powerful in the art of Kido with Rukia's instruction. My Zanpakuto was pleased with my progress, always reminding me how much closer I was getting to earning the right to know her name. And every time she mentioned it, I would find the need to push myself just a little harder. I wanted to know her name just as much as I'd wanted a name of my own.

Rukia and Ichigo helped me whenever those two nobles gave me trouble until they knew it was pointless and gave up trying to mess with me. I learned very quickly that they were just as fed up with those particular nobles attitudes as well. When they would say rude things, Rukia would remind them of their nobility and that swearing was not exactly acceptable. If they thought they could physically harm her, Ichigo almost always as close enough to use his impressive flash step to intervene. Any other infractions as to their behavior towards me, and I would stop them with a Bakudo, of which I had more options now that I'd learned the mid-level Kido.

Now, I was sitting in my desk, two desks away from Ichigo, as we waited for Rukia to hand out the review sheet for the Final Semester Exam that we were to take after our mid year break. Since he and I both were the top two students, with me being the first, in this Advanced Kido class, we felt we had the liberty to try and make the other smile with stupid faces. This was entertaining to us mainly because it took a lot for either of us to crack a smile unless we were in a private area. Currently, I was winning 4-3, but Ichigo wasn't keeping track.

"Mr. Kurosaki, and Miss Tsukino," Rukia said in her elegant and commanding teacher-voice, "Is this class so boring that you resort to such a childish form of amusement?"

Her tone was irritated, but Ichigo and I both knew that Rukia was just as bored as we were and doing something to pass the time while they waited for the reviews to be delivered. I decided to play along, "With all due respect, Miss Kuchiki, both technically I _am_ still a child."

Rukia faked being astounded by my seemingly rude comment, "I'm sorry you feel that way, Miss Tsukino, because I doubt you can call yourself a child if you are in fact in a Sixth Year Advanced Kido Class, and the same goes for being in Advanced Zanjutsu as well."

I blinked, but inwardly a was smiling at the hidden compliment, "The fact that I am of the physical age of ten still remains, Miss Kuchiki."

Rukia rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Misami."

The class, most likely thinking that we had been seriously arguing, let out a sigh of relief as the argument was cut short by the curt knock of a messenger, "Delivery for a Miss Rukia Kuchiki!"

"Ah," Rukia turned to the door, "I suppose we will have to settle this later, then."

"I agree," I said, nodding.

Rukia, with the aid of a kiss up student whom sat next to the door anyway, hauled in the large stack of review sheets. Many of the class' eyes widened in apparent horror at the sight of such high stacked papers. Rukia, most likely from the weight of the papers, let out a long drawn out sigh as she sent the papers down and sent the student back to his desk. Passing the papers out slowly, with each students' eyes widening as they laid eyes on the materiel as it was placed on their desk. Ichigo and I looked at each other with our eye brows cocked in confusion. mostly thinking the same thing. _What could be so bad about a review?_

_Maybe it's a spell that most of the class is not familiar with? _My Zanpakuto tried.

_I have no clue, _I shrugged. I looked of over at Ichigo, whom seemed to be having a conversation(Argument) with his own Zanpakuto.

_Well, either way, I don't see you having a problem with anything on this test, Master, _My sword said it in a way that told me she was smiling.

I smiled mentally back, _Thanks for the vote of confidence, my friend. _

_Of course, Master, _was her response.

Finally, since I was the student furthest from the front and the last to get any papers, Rukia came by my desk and plopped the review sheet before me. It was covered with every single spell we had learned in the class up to that point, complete with its name, its use, effect, incantation, and level. At the top of the paper, it said "_Must memorize the incantations, name, and strategic use of each of the following spells_." My heart lifted from a previously unknown building of anxiety. I knew all the incantations of each of the new Hado and Bakudo I'd learned during the semester, it was the use of the spells that had me wandering, but not worrying. I stole a look at Ichigo.

His eyes were wide, his lips moving as he mumbled softly to himself. He always had trouble with memorizing the incantations of the spells we learned. I wasn't all that worried about him, since he had Rukia and I to help him with whatever he needed. But then again, he always was bad at remembering things at times. Most frequently: names.

_It seems you have to memorize somethings after all, _My Zanpakuto said a few minutes later, as we were packing our things up after the bell chimed to let us know the school day was over. I was helping Rukia straighten up the classroom, which was almost never used since we were in the training yard most of the time. Crumpled papers, misplaced pencils, forgotten reviews left on desks that belonged to students who could care less, so on and so forth. The desks were sometimes slightly ajar, and sometimes completely turned around because of some student wishing to carry on a conversation rather than listen to Rukia's teaching. These things were common and I'd gotten used to cleaning them up or fixing them. What used to take ten minutes now took five, and we were out the door with the windows shut, leaving the room in a dormant darkness that would only alleviate when classes resumed the next morning.

Locking the door, Rukia turned down the hall and started towards our dorm room. Ichigo and I were carrying some late papers from a First Year class of Rukia's that needed to be graded by morning, so they could be given back the next day. The final day before the end of the First Semester and the beginning of the mid year break. As we turned left in the direction of my dorm, I mused on what I wished to do during the three weeks the Soul Reaper Academy allowed its students leave.

I knew I wanted to learn the Captain level Kido Rukia had been practicing. I wanted to meditate with my Zanpakuto, since I'd heard that you are transported to your inner world when you do so. I wanted to train with Ichigo to get stronger in both physical strength and in Zanjutsu. And I wanted to relax and spend some time with my new family. I chuckled a little to myself, earning a confused sideways glance from Ichigo as she closed in on our dorms, at the fact that most pf what I wished to do with my extensive free time was training of some kind. Of course, after a long day I would steal one of Rukia's _adorable _Chappies. Though, just like Rukia, I would punch anyone if they told me I was obsessed with Chappy. Or if they were to comment on if I was short. I guess I got that from Rukia.

Finally, as my arms were about to get tired from the constant weight of the hefty box of papers, the three of us arrived at our dorms. Rukia, blushing again as she "accidentally" brushed her hand over Ichigo's as he gave her the box he was holding. Also blushing, and softly apologizing, Ichigo said good bye to the both of us as he turned around and entered his own dorm room. When he left, and after I had dropped off the papers, replaced them with a Chappy, and sat on my bed, I gave Rukia a knowing look.

She, of course, knew exactly were I was going with it, "No, it's not like that, Misami..."

"I don't believe you," I smiled, nuzzling a cheek on the soft head of the Chappy, "You two blush when you get within two feet of each other!"

"No! That isn't true," Rukia shook her head, sitting on her own bed and facing me, a Chappy now in her lap as well.

"What's not to like?" I shifted the conversation expertly, "He's strong, and nice. I may be a child by most standards, by I know that you two would make a perfect couple, Rukia."

"Even if it were like that," Rukia said, testing the waters almost, "I wouldn't know what to do...I've never dated anyone before. And I'm a noble and he's not, which would make it extremely hard to get his courting me approved."

"So say he is nobility," I mused, "Just because you've never dated isn't a good enough reason not to, Rukia."

"Sometimes I forget you _are _a child," Rukia shook her head, hugging the Chappy in her arms.

"Yeah," I chuckled softly, "Me too."

"Well," Rukia sighed, rising and leaving the Chappy on her bed, "I have work to do, and I want to get at least _some _sleep tonight."

I rose too, "Then let me help, so you can."

Rukia gave me one of her soft smiles, "Thank you, Misami."

I smiled back, "Anytime. But don't think for a second that this work is going to save you from this topic."

Rukia halfheartedly goaned, "Fine, fine. I'll _consider_ it, okay?"

I pondered that, then smiled, "Fine. You're in the clear...for now."

Rukia sighed, "Good."

A good thirty minutes into the work, I remembered something rather important, "So...are you going to teach me the Captain Kido now?"

Rukia gave me a side ways glance, then turned back to her work, "...Yes."

My eyes widened, "_Really?_"

Rukia didn't look at me, but she smiled and nodded, "Yes, you seem like you're ready for it. You are top of the class, after all. I still can't believe that. It's almost as surprising as Ichigo being right on your heels."

I smiled, "Thanks, Rukia."

She smiled back, "Anytime."

And with that, we finished the paperwork after about five minutes. Once that was done, Rukia and I crawled back into our beds. Then we took turns taking showers, long showers, and then plopping back into our beds. On a mat next to my bed lay my duel Zanpakuto, the white markings of the black sheaths glowing softly as Rukia blew out the candles supplying the light. Rukia had her Zanpakuto on a mat as well, the elegant blade situated perfectly centered on the deep red fabric. I heard Rukia's bed groan softly as she lay her body there, the covers swooshing quietly as she slid into them. I shifted and lay down as well, slipping under the warm covers. Thoughts of my new life flashed on the backs of my eyelids as soon as I closed them. Of Rukia, Ichigo, the Academy, the safety it brought, the power I'd gained. Everything I would always be thankful for, and hoped I'd never take for granted.

"Good night, Misami," Rukia said, her voice fading just as she fell asleep.

"Good night, Rukia," I said just as softly, her words lulling me into my own slumber.

* * *

I woke up to Rukia's gentle nudge. My eyes opened to see her and Ichigo standing by my bedside completely dressed in their uniforms. Just to make sure I wasn't late for anything, namely my classes, my gaze shifted to the clock hanging on the wall. Satisfied, and relieved, I turned my attention back to the two Soul Reapers standing before me.

"Good morning?" I raised an eyebrow as I spoke groggily.

"Mornin' Misami," Ichigo gave me a small smile.

"What's going on?" I asked, sitting up.

"We need to be up early today," Ichigo explained, "Kisuke wants to give you you Exam early for some reason."

I blinked, "Why?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Dunno, he said that I was taking my exam too."

"And you decided that now was the best time to let me know that kind of information?" I rolled my eyes.

"Hey! I forgot okay?" Ichigo snapped.

"Keep your voice down, Strawberry," Rukia chided, "It's far too early for you to start yelling."

"No one asked you, Midget," Ichigo shot back, whisper-yelling, "No offense, Misami."

I stopped glaring at Ichigo just for a second, "I don't see why you think Rukia and I are short...You just happen to be freakishly tall."

Ever since a heated argument between Rukia and Ichigo, of which started somehow started with my own height, I'd started to take offense to the insults Ichigo sent towards Rukia. After all, the majority of his insults towards the petite Soul Reaper also applied to me. Especially height.

"No, you both are just short," Ichigo said, dismissively waving his hand.

Rukia and I both whisper-yelled back in unison, "We are not short!"

"Whatever," Ichigo was hiding a smile at our reaction to the insults, but turned to leave the room, "I'll be outside when you're ready, Misami."

I sighed, echoing a similar response from Rukia, as I hopped out of bed, and into the restroom. A quick shower, a swift brushing of my white hair, and a change into my fresh uniform and I was almost finished with my short morning routine. The only thing missing was my Zanpakuto. Sixth Years were allowed to carry their Zanpakutos on Academy grounds as long as they remained in their sheaths, with the exception of the Zanjutsu training areas. I, as fast as I could, wrapped the white bandage-like straps around my waist, the hilt jutting out past my right hip. Next, I slipped the black strap of the second sword over my shoulder just like Ichigo wore his Zanpakuto. Approving of my work, I turned to Rukia and smiled warmly at her just as I left.

"Bye, Rukia! See you in class!"

I heard Rukia happy reply, "You too, Misami!"

Ichigo was, just as he said, waiting just outside my dorm room in the hall. He turned his back to me, smirking over his shoulder, "Hop on, we have to get there fast, and your flash step ain't gonna cut it today."

Hopping on his left shoulder, since the right was occupied by a large Zanpakuto, I rolled my eyes, "It isn't that bad, Ichi."

I felt the familiar sensation of being ripped through space as Ichigo responded, "No comment."

"C'mon, give me some credit for once! I'm tied for second in the class with you!"

"No," Ichigo smirked, "You _think _you are."

"The leader boards in the classroom say other wise," I smirked.

Ichigo made a show of gritting his teeth in irritation, "I have no idea what your talking about."

"So now you can't remember the big obvious board in the front on the Zanjutsu classroom, too?" I asked, sounding astonished, "It's like you have negative memory or something."

"Negative memory?" Ichigo turned his head to look at me with a raised eyebrow, "Negative memory? Really?"

"What? It's not my fault dumb excuses need dumb names to go with them, Strawberry," I reasoned as we stopped before the door to Kisuke Urahara's room. The door was slightly ajar, and The morning light bled through the opening. I could barely hear laughing between my Zanjutsu teacher and a female. They both sounded as if they'd known the other for quite some time. Ichigo tensed slightly at the sound of the new voice, which stopped as soon as they sensed our approach. Ichigo sighed, as if resigned to some inevitable truth. The he walked through the door, with me still on his shoulder.

The voice belonged to a woman with dark skin and purple hair. What was stunning was her golden eyes and fast smirk-like smile. She had an easy going air around her, and she made the already chatty Urahara a motormouth. I found her quite entertaining for one reason or the other, but Ichigo seemed to get irritated from the look on her face alone. She glanced in our direction, blinking as she laid eyes on me, then looking to Ichigo with a bemused look. Ichigo, with his usual scowl, ignored the look and gazed at a laughing Urahara.

"Well," Ichigo said, "Misami and I are here for our exams."

The woman turned to her friend with a knowing look, speaking in an astonished tone, "Exams Kisuke? You're getting good at this."

Urahara smiled, "Why, thank you Yoruichi! I thought you might like it."

Ichigo's scowl deepened, if such a thing was possible, as he groaned, "Really? I only got like four hours of sleep!"

"To be fair, Ichigo," Kisuke sighed, pulling a fan from seemingly no where and opening it before his face, "I don't think you would have come this early for much else."

I yawned from my vantage point on Ichigo's shoulder, "Not very nice of you, regardless, Kisuke.."

Urahara was obviously smiling, since he finally got me to stop calling him Mr. Urahara, since I was a close friend of both Rukia and Ichigo, "I apologize, Misami."

I waved a hand dismissively, "You are forgiven. So...why get us up so early?"

Yoruichi smiled at that question, "Actually, so I could meet you, Miss Tsukino."

I blinked, looking down at the older woman, "Really? What did I do to deserve such an honor?"

"You are a close friend of my protege," Yoruichi smiled up at me, "And any friend of his is a friend of mine. And I don't like having friends I've never met."

"Well," I said, jumping down from Ichigo's shoulder, then walking to Yoruichi to bow in greeting, "It's nice to meet you, Miss...?"

"Ah where are my manners?" Yuroichi stood and stuck out her hand, "Name's Yoruichi Shihoin."

I rose from my bow with my eyes widened slightly in surprise, as I shook her outstretched hand, "You are a Shihoin?"

"Well," She shrugged, "Kind of."

I cocked an eyebrow, "Kind of?"

"I'm exiled from the clan, and haven't gone back to reclaim my spot as its head," Yoruichi shrugged.

I was shocked, "You were the head of the Shihoin Clan?"

She rubbed the back of her neck and grinned as if that statement embarrassed her, but I could easily tell it was an act, "Yup."

"Was that it?" Ichigo groaned in irritation, slumping to the ground to sit next next to Kisuke and Yoruichi.

"Well, since I have felt her spiritual pressure," Yoruichi said, "And seen that she has her Zanpakuto, _and _heard from Kisuke that she is an excellent swordsman. I'd like to ask you a question, Ichigo."

Ichigo cocked his head, "What?"

"I'd like to ask for your permission to train Misami in your stead," Yoruichi said, "Since I heard that you were planning to teach her over the break."

It was my turn to interrupt, "Wait, what?"

Yoruichi turned and smiled at me, "I said I want to train you like I trained Ichigo before the Winter War."

"Train me in what aspect?" I asked, "I haven't achieved my Shikai yet."

"Oh? That's okay, most don't obtain it until years after they graduate the Academy, if at all." Yoruichi said, "But I wouldn't worry too much about that. I can help you achieve Shikai in no time, it just depends on your Zanpakuto. And, as a bonus, I want to train you on how to do a proper flash step."

I looked to Ichigo, "What do you want me to do, Ichigo?"

Ichigo shrugged, "I'm okay with it as long as you are, Misami. I'll still teach you if you decide to go with her. I don't mind."

"I have Kido training with Rukia over the break too, though," I said.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Yoruichi said with her quick smile, "I promise that you'll be gone for three days at most."

"Well..." I looked at Ichigo, "I don't see a reason why not..."

"Great!" Yoruichi exclaimed, "Then we'll start tomorrow. I'll meet you here at noon."

I nodded, "Alright, I guess I'll see you then."

Yoruichi smiled, "Yup!"

Then she suddenly vanished in an amazing display of flash step.

Ichigo grunted, "Well then, I lost half my steep for no reason."

"Oh shut up, Ichi," I playfully punched his shoulder.

His scowl deepened, but I knew he was smirking on the inside, "Whatever. So, Hat-and-Clogs, how about that early Exam?"

Kisuke seemed to shrug as he said, smiling, "We can still do that if you wish, Ichigo. We have enough time."

"Good," Ichigo said as they both rose to their feet. "C'mon Misami."

I sighed, faking indifference while I smiled on the inside, "Sure."

As I hopped onto my rightful place at Ichigo's left shoulder, we followed Kisuke to the Zanjutsu training grounds a five minute walk away. It was the World of the Living equivalent of five in the morning, and very few souls were awake at such an ungodly hour. Classes started in around four Living World hours, and most of the Academy's students were still asleep in their dorms. I liked the spacious hallways the early time came with, the fact that I hadn't really slept that much a distant memory in light of my meeting Yoruichi. Ichigo, however, was getting hit with the morning drowsiness with full force. He seemed to be unable to get over the lost amount of sleep, and his scowl was deeper then it usually was. He had slight bags under his eyes, which made me wander what he had been doing to go to bed late enough to get such an effect.

But I decided to drop it just as we came upon the training area, with Kisuke proudly trudging ahead unabashed of his wooden sandals. Ichigo silently followed, his eyes blinking away his drowsiness. I, however, was wide awake and smiling at what a funny face Ichigo was making in the haze of his exhaustion. I let out a giggle to make sure he knew. His attention gained, Ichigo now scowled out of reflex at my laughter. I shrugged, my small smile morphing into a smirk. He sighed, using a forearm to wipe at his eyes. Then Ichigo stopped suddenly, his eyes looking towards Kisuke as he stopped in the middle of the training grounds. Knowing I would only get in the way of Ichigo's test, I fell away silently from my perch on his shoulder and moved a good distance away from the two Captain level Soul Reapers.

_Master? _My Zanpakuto gently said.

_Yes? _I thought back as Kisuke was calmly explaining the rules of the engagement.

_I would like to make a suggestion, _my sword said.

I cocked an eyebrow in spite of myself, as Ichigo drew his sealed blade. This was a first for my Zanpakuto, who was like me in she didn't like to strike up a conversation unless it was important to me or in general, _What is it?_

_My suggestion is that you try and perform Jinzen, _She said quietly.

_Meditate? _I cocked my head this time.

_Yes, Master, _my sword sounded as if she were nodding,

_Alright, as you wish, _My hand moving for the wooden buckle-like badge on the black bandage looking strap that went across my chest. I lifted the strap up and over my head, then gently set the sword down on the ground. Next, I unwrapped the white bindings that held my other sword at my waist and parallel to the small of my back. After that was done, I slowly sat down next to my other sword. Finally, I assumed a position that I would associate with meditating, moving both swords to lay them in my small lap. I closed my eyes, exhaling softly as I concentrated on meditation. I tuned out the repeated clashes of both Ichigo's and Kisuke's Zanpakuto, and focused completely on meeting my Zanpakuto in a place I'd only heard that existed inside of my soul. I felt my Zanpakuto spirit tug me down into the depths of my conscious. Just before I left for my inner world, I felt my breath even out and become as relaxed as it possibly could.

* * *

"Hello, Master," Came the familiar voice of my Zanpakuto behind me.

My eyes snapped open. What met my gaze was astonishing. It was an immense desert, its vast white sands interrupted by strange black pillars that reached into the sky. I was sitting in the same position as when I'd begun to meditate, but my swords were once again strapped to my person just as I always had them. The sky was dark, like it would be in the middle of the night, but it was strangely comforting. The black heavens was only interrupted by the crescent-shaped moon that hung in the middle of the sky. The equally black, large black pillars were sparsely and seemingly randomly placed through this vast desert. Finally, it seemed, I pulled my attention away from the desert world and looked over my shoulder towards the voice of my Zanpakuto.

"I'm honored to finally meet you," I said breathlessly as I looked at my sword's form.

She was absolutely beautiful, clad in an elegant white kimono. The wrappings around her waist were a deep blood red, and the pure white silk of the kimono was adorned with black flowers and curved lines. She beamed at me, or rather down at me, with a small and innocent smile. Her features were relaxed and at peace, unblemished by worry, age, or wounds. Her pale skin, the same Caucasian skin as me, was rosy at the cheeks and flawless. Her hair was as white as the kimono she wore. The strands of her hair hung like Rukia's, with a stray bang falling into her face. Her eyes were like mine, changing to match her emotions. Sky blue for when we were at peace. Cobalt blue for when were were concentrating. Deep, dark, almost black blue when we were hurt or distraught. Blue-green when we were conflicted or indecisive.

She, like me, was an open book. You only needed to know the complicated language it was written in to read it.

"The honor is all mine, Master," my Zanpakuto smiled softly again.

I blushed slightly, since it was the third or fourth time in my life that someone was honored to meet _me_, "Why thank you...Was there something you wished to discuss?"

"Why do you ask, Master?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "It would make sense if there was something you'd like to talk to me about in person and not in thought."

"Well," the sword nodded, "You were correct in thinking so. I wish to test you, Master."

"Test me? What for?"

"To see if you are worthy of my name."

I blinked, "You mean you think I might be worthy of your power? So soon?"

She gave me a knowing look, "Yes, and you show an amazing control over your Spiritual Pressure, and you have come a long way in your skill in swordsmanship. You have met my requirements to be at the level of at least a seated officer in all respects. You have shown that time and time again, Master. I chose now because Miss Shihoin had offered to train you, and I'd rather give you my name on my own terms."

I nodded, regarding the beautiful Zanpakuto with a smile, "I'm honored."

She smiled warmly, "Not nearly as honored as I am to be your Zanpakuto."

"Shall we begin then?" I asked, a my right itching to raise to the hilt looming over my right shoulder.

"Of course," She smiled again, eyes flashing cobalt now as two blades materialized in her grip. They were the exact same as the ones sheathed at my shoulder and hip.

My hands shot to my blades, the right to the one at my shoulder and the left to the other jutting from my hip. Swiftly, I drew them out. The rasp of the two swords unsheathing resounded in my ears, and the almost ghostly ringing of the metal as it escaped they confines of the scabbards rung in my ears soon after.

"The rules are simple," The Zanpakuto said, "We will fight, using all that we know, and the first to force the other to submit shall win. Your prize is my name, for you will have proven yourself worthy by defeating me."

I nodded, knowing she meant I was allowed to use Kido in this battle, "I understand."

"Your test starts now."

Then the sword charged towards me, blades at the ready, and eyes the iciest blue in the entire Soul Society.

I readied my blades.


	5. A Normal Day at the Academy

**Author' Note: Sorry for the delay! I just had my computer crash the day before, and had to wait to type it up. This is my first Bleach Fic, so if there's a few typo's, please excuse them.**

**Thank you, Scarease, for reviewing! Thank you for that bit on information, since it will be important later on in the story! I'd like to thank you for being the first to review this story, and you motivated me to write this chapter as long as it was! So thank you!**

Among the wasteland he called home, a Vasto Lorde class Hollow ripped the head off of his latest kill. The crescent moon hung ominously as always in the black void above. Blood stained the Vasto Lorde's claws. He shook his head, the crest that resembled a Spartan's helmet rocking from side to side, and sighed heavily. His blood red eyes glowed from the shadows cast by the Spartan like helmet, sharp teeth beginning to bite down on the fresh kill. Black claws, starkly contrasting the white skin that covered his body, grasped the meat as he fed. His muscles were immense, making the rumored Cero Espada, Yammy Llargo, look small by comparison. Tattoo vine markings wrapped around his arms and crawled all the way out and stopped on his shoulders. The Hollow hole was large, and dominating the center of his bare chest. The only real clothing was a mess of rags that covered his groin area, leaving the rest of his legs and his waist up totally exposed. His toes were also tipped with ebony claws.

He'd been a Hollow for longer than he could remember, probably millennium, and he was tired from the absolute lack of worthy opponents. He'd killed the last Vasto Lorde he'd come across, all those decades ago. He actually had a scar from his right ear that reached just an inch short of the right corner of his mouth, the result of his opponents jagged sword-like appendage raking his human-like skull. But that only now reminded him of the sad fact that his last enjoyable fight was almost a century ago. And he was so sick of it.

"You there!" An Adjuches class hollow, the leader of about four of his kind, roared, "What are you doing in our territory!?"

"Nothing that you can concern yourself with, weakling." Was the Vasto Lorde's response, as he turned way. His humanoid form's white armored skin reflecting the moonlight.

"How dare you!" The lower Hollow roared, "Kill on our turf then insult us! You will pay!"

The Vasto Lorde stopped, and looked over his shoulder, "Do you realize that you are challenging me?"

"Of course, imbecile!" The hollow roared again, "I won't let you just walk away from your punishment."

"Fine then," The Vasto Lorde turned to face the group of Adjuches, whom all had their weapon-like arms or abilities at the ready, "Let's see if you can be entertaining enough. The Vasto Lorde retrieved two bracelet-like cuffs, and clasped them to each of his wrists. His power was reduced by close to three quarters, but he was still slightly more powerful than his new opponents. Still, he didn't like how cowardly they were to attack him all at once. So he lifted his right hand, his index and middle finger pointing at the legs of three of the six new enemies. A red Cero with a black flame-like aura charged at the tip of his fingers. The tell tale resounding of the Cero's unique discharge rung in the Vasto Lorde's ears. Instantly, the legs of the three he had been aiming at had been erased from existence. Their roars of agony were covered up by the thundering steps of the Adjuches that remained as they charged with rage towards the Vasto Lorde.

Slowly, the Vasto Lorde let his hand fall to his side once again, and awaited the arrival of his opponents. When they came, in a flurry of attacks that would have destroyed entire cities, the Vasto Lorde took the brunt of all of them, blood gushing from half the wounds while the other half bounced uselessly off his armor. Soon, the Adjuches tired, expending all their energy to try and destroy their enemy. But they failed on their first attempt. They wouldn't get a second.

The leader was the first to fall, falling to the ground in a heap, as the rest of his allies were cut in two by the Vasto Lorde's bare hands. As the leader's comrades vanished in death, the Adjuches crumbled to the ground, he looked up at the disappointed expression of the Vasto Lorde.

"Who are you?" Was his last words as he started to ebb away from existence.

The Vasto Lorde waited until the Adjuches was all but erased, before answering in a ghostly voice, "My name is Takeshi Yagami."

* * *

I parried the hundredth blow from my Zanpakuto, and swung my leg in a side kick towards it's knee. She jumped back, dodging the blow, then surged at me again. I charged to meet her half way, my right sword surging to meet the two swords falling down on me. In a surprising display of strength, I halted her blow enough and extended my other hand in the proper position.

"Bakudo No. 1: Sai," I muttered, using flash step to surge backwards ten feet as the Kido took affect. But I didn't get her the chance to recover from the Bakudo, and got into position. I lifted up my hand, index finger lifted from its vise grip on my right sword, and concentrated so that the Kido would act more like a laser than a lightning bolt, "Hado No. 4: Byakurai."

The Hado raced towards my Zanpakuto's wide eyed expression, a laser like arc of pale blue lightning. But, to my dismay, my Zanpakuto broke free of the binding Kido and rolled away from the Hado just as it was about to connect. The sand was as white as her kimono, as clouds of that sand raised up from the ground, making it look as if she had a halo of pure white around her. But it wasn't sand, because sand doesn't start to glow suddenly. Sand doesn't hang in mid-air. Sand doesn't flow to a certain sword in a spirit's right hand and begin to shimmer with power.

And Sand _definitely _didn't cause a beam of white light with a black, flame-like aura to surge towards me. The pure and piercing blue eye's of my Zanpakuto as she fired, a gaze of indifference that was blank as the white sand around us. The beam ripped through the space between us an an astonishing speed, far too fast for me to get out of the way.

I instinctively, since there is no way I could've reacted as fast as I did, raised my swords. Forming an "X" with my two blades in a blocking position, I started to concentrate. "Bakudo No. 39 Enkosen."

A pale golden disk of rapidly spinning spiritual pressure appeared before my crossed blades just as the beam reached me. It took almost all my strength to maintain the Kido for as long as I did, but I knew as soon as the attack struck my defense that I'd lose this little battle. The Kido shattered and the beam reached to my still crossed blades. I tried with all the strength I could muster, but even that wasn't enough. The beam hit me in the chest and I flew back from the impact. I slammed into a black pillar hard. The strange pillar shattered, but instead of crumbling on top of me like a normal stone or other type of pillar, it dissipated like black smoke. Confused only for a second, rose from the sands and stumbled clumsily to my feet. I gripped my swords with all my remaining strength to stay up right. My Zanpakuto spoke with her innocent and delicate voice.

"We have been sparring for close to thirty minutes straight, Master. I'd thought you'd like to know."

I blinked, looking at my sword's spirit, "Really?"

The spirit nodded, "You have been doing very well, Master."

"Thank you," I smirked, the child side of me proud of the praise.

Only know had I begun to feel the weight of exhaustion. The sword combat Ichigo had been teaching me had also conditioned my body's endurance, though I still started to pant during the first ten minutes of this current fight. But now, my small legs felt like lead and my arms were numb from the constant batterings of my Zanpakuto's attacks. The beam that the sword just fired at me had caused a hole burned through my Academy uniform to the flesh on my stomach. My entire chest was still smoking from the impact, sand still falling out of every crease in my clothes. The swords in my hands felt like the ground itself was dragging them down. Pain like fire burning my flesh sat heavily on my skin. I gritted my teeth and tried my hardest to ignore it.

I charged at my Zanpakuto, the sand kicked up by my feet and clouding behind me. My blades glinted in the moonlight, and so did my blood. I had reached my Zanpakuto in that instant, in a flash step that would have made Ichigo proud. Her eyes widened in shock, most likely having thought I was at the end of my abilities to continue. She didn't quite block my attack in time.

I managed to get a small cut across her cheek before her blades halted mine. But I twisted, jerking my blade to the left. It through her off balance long enough fro me to crouch low, pivoting to go with the turn, and slice at her feet. Both missed as she jumped up to dodge the attack, but as she was suspended in the air, I flashed behind her and jumped up to meet her in mid air. Wrenching to the right as I jumped, I appeared behind my Zanpakuto in a spinning mass of steel and platinum blonde hair. I caught her three times. Once in the back, then in the side as she turned to block my first attack, then in her stomach as we landed and I blocked with one blade and used the other to strike. Blood stained the pure white of her beautiful kimono, pain contorted her delicate features. She shoved me off of her, her breath catching.

The first two of that last three were deep gashes, but the last attack had been a stab. My Zanpakuto grimaced, her left blade turning entirely black before shattering into nothing by shadow-like darkness to hold the deep wound. She looked up at me with pride, her eyes a blue-green. The two gashes I'd just made were oozing crimson, the kimono dripped the blood onto the sands at her feet. It sunk into the sand, staining the ground just as it had her kimono. The Zanpakuto spirit didn't seem to notice. She was too busy smiling at me. The cut I'd made in her face was trickling blood that ran down to her chin. Even when she was battered, bloodied and in agony, she was still beautiful.

"You amaze me, Master," She said softly, so softly I had to hold my breath to hear her. She looked so drained from that last assault. Had those two gashes I'd made been deeper then I thought? Did I slash a vein? The Zanpakuto sighed, "I am truly impressed, that you would comeback after such a strong attack and wound be so badly...simply amazing."

I just stared at my Zanpakuto, "Are you alright?"

"I've never been better," The sword said, slowly letting her remaining blade dissipate into thin air the same way as the other sword. Taking that the fight was over for now, I sheathed my two blades at the same time. The left going to the scabbard at my hip and the right at my shoulder as I made my way over to my Zanpakuto. I reached out to her with my hand as I neared the quivering body of the sword spirit. She gracefully sat down in the crimson stained sand, her kimono having three distinct slashes in the fabric. Her skin showed through the gaps. Her wounds were already starting to heal. She said something else, "You may go now, Master. You have done well."

I blinked, "But what about your name?"

She smiled, "You have earned it, Master. I have absolutely no doubts about you any more. But I'd like to ask a favor of you."

"Yes?"

"To wait until after Yuroichi's training for me to tell you." The Zanpakuto said softly.

"Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in my confusion.

"I'd like you to be stronger before I let you have my power," She put up a hand to stop my protests, then continued, "It's because I fear you will not be able to use my powers properly without her training. I'm not saying you couldn't handle it now, I know you can."

My protests died on my lips, I looked down and sighed. I looked into my Zanpakuto's pleading ice blue irises, I couldn't bring myself to deny her such a simple favor simply because of my childish impatience, "Alright, I will honor your request."

"Thank you, Master," The spirit smiled.

I smiled back, "You're welcome! See ya later!"

Then I stood and started to walk away. I didn't know where, but I didn't think it would matter. I closed my eyes and emptied my mind as if I'd done this a hundred times. Slowly I felt myself fall into what felt like a black void. I felt like I was falling through the ground, but before I could fell any fear or pain on landing. I suddenly heard the familiar clashing of swords.

* * *

"Can you believe Kurosaki? He's way too strong to be here."

"Kurosaki's putting up a great fight, he's giving him a run for his money."

"Hey, look is that Misami Tsukino over there?"

"Wow she can meditate while such a huge battle's going on right in front of her?"

"How can she meditate like that when I can barely stand with this spiritual pressure!"

"I hate it when everyone makes it look so easy..."

"I heard the exam will be just like this."

"Oh man! I forgot my sword at the dorm."

"Why isn't anyone going to see if the girl is alright? She's still just a kid from the 78th anyways."

My ears were assaulted as the torrent of whispers sounded from the class. I must have been concentrating hard to not notice any of them come in. Their whispers didn't really matter to me much. My wounds, I noticed, were gone, since they hadn't existed in the first place. I wasn't panting from exhaustion, and wasn't bleeding from numerous wounds. The burns of my uniform were gone, the fabric unscathed. My swords were on my lap just as I left them as I'd left this world. Calmly, as the whispers rose because the movement I'd made had drawn attention, I tucked the two blades under my arm and got to my feet. The white bandage-like wrappings went securely around my small waist four or five times as I secured my left sword to my body. The hilt jutting out horizontally past my waist just like it always did. Next, I gripped the black cloth strap of my other sword and slipped my left arm and head through it. The strap now resting on my right shoulder, and the hilt looming over it, and the wooden vortex seal just above the center of my chest. I turned to the mass of students, gathered to the right of the doors and their gazes flicking between the fight and me. More whispers ensued before they died down as I got within earshot.

I took my place at the front of the group, so I could see the fight as it unraveled. No one seemed to protest my taking their place, and I was much too short to take up much room anyways. The clashing of swords dragged me back into reality before I could dwell too much on my lack of height.

"What's the freaking point of this, Hat-and-Clogs?" Ichigo sounded irritated.

"It's to ensure that your training has worked, Ichigo," Kisuke gave a mischievous smile.

Ichigo's scowl deepened, as he blocked and incoming blow from Kisuke, "But you've seen me fight. Hell, you taught me yourself before Aizen!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kisuke said, smiling again.

Ichigo growled and charged Kisuke. Bringing down his Zanpakuto hard, forcing Kisuke into a deadlock as he blocked Ichigo's attack. Pushing even harder, with his body and his spiritual power, Ichigo force Kisuke to raise his spiritual pressure and then jerk to the right. That jerk redirected Ichigo's sword to the side and into the floorboards. Since it was a real sword instead of a bokken, Ichigo's blade sliced through the boards and imbedded itself into them. Effectively disarmed, Ichigo looked to Kisuke with his usual scowl. Smiling mischviously as always, Kisuke flash stepped towards Ichigo with his sword raised. Ichigo, condensing his spiritual pressure into the edge of the blade, ripped it out of the ground. Blocking just in time to meet Kisuke's blow.

Even though they seemed to be fighting as well as they could, I somehow knew that they were holding back immensely. Their spiritual pressures seemed to be retained, and there abilities seemed to be used to a weak effect. Though the students here probably wouldn't know this fact, it still seemed to amaze them at the power the two Captain level Soul Reaper's exhibited.

"They're amazing!"

"I wish I could be like them..."

"Just you wait, I'll be like that someday!"

The whispers were starting again, the awed voices of the students echoed. Some were laughing as their friends claimed they were as good as Ichigo. While my emotions were held in check by a stoic mask Rukia had taught me to use so my feelings wouldn't be on display, I was smiling on the inside at the effect Ichigo had on the class. So proud of this that I almost let the "Kuchiki Mask", as Ichigo and Rukia had called it from time to time, crack just a little. But it didn't and I remained outwardly I different. Then I felt someone gazing at me, almost staring. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder.

I made eye contact with a built and tall Academy student, his unnamed Zanpakuto strung to his back like everyone else's with a thin string. He quickly looked away, but his spiritual pressure held the notion he had some questions for me. I wandered what this supposed questions could be, as I turned my gaze back to the fight, my expression stoic as ever.

The fight dragged on for another five minutes, until it ended with Ichigo barely getting his sealed blade to Kisuke's neck. Kisuke had smiled and nodded his approval, "Good job, Ichigo. You have improved to be able to win with only your swordsmanship and not your power. I am impressed."

"Thanks, Urahara," Ichigo panted, "I think I still need to improve, though."

"Very well, Ichigo," Kisuke said, "We still have the semester after this one before you're off to the 13 court Guard Squads anyway."

"Mr. Urahara, sir," A student spoke up amist the crowd of Sixth Years, "What will we be doing today?"

Kisuke looked over to the group, looking me in the eyes as his gaze swept my way, "Training as always. I want you all to switch partners just for today, so you can try your new techniques on someone whom hasn't fought against it. And vise versa."

"Yes, Sir!" The class yelled in unison.

I saw Ichigo look at me apologetically, as if the partner switch was his fault. Or maybe because he thought I'd be sad at the fact that we wouldn't be able to spar today. And he was right I'd that was what he was thinking. But I sucked it up, subduing the childish side of me that thought it wasn't fair, and looked around for another partner. The student that had looked me in the eye just a moment ago wasn't being taken, and I decided he was as good as any.

"Do you have a partner?" I flashed in front of him. He looked around at first, wandering where the voice came from, until he shrugged and started walking forward. I held out a hand, at my eye level, and he stopped as his chest hit that hand. He looked down and saw my small frame.

"Wow," He chuckled, "You're even shorter up close, squirt."

He started patting me on the head as if I were a dog. My eye twitched, and my fist clenched. As a reflex, refined by repeated uses when Ichigo had insulted Rukia and I in regard to our height, my leg slammed into the tall students knee from the side. He toppled down on to the ground, crying out in both surprise and pain, as his knee buckled and he lost balance. Other students looked over from their sparring sessions at the sound of the tall student slamming to the ground. Some laughed, some stared with grins of amusement of their faces, then the small amount of students that were doing neither of the first two options were staring at me.

As soon as the tall student recovered, and as the class started to look away, I placed my foot on the tall students back, and chuckled just as he had moments ago, "Who's short now, fool?"

The tall student growled, "Get off of me, pint size."

That remark got him a foot to the face as he looked up at me. His nose was clutched in her hands soon after. I grinned triumphantly, just like when Rukia did when this happened with Ichigo. He groaned in pain, muttering under his breath. I lifted my foot from his head, then waited patiently. He, though muttering the entire time, rose to his feet and soon towered over me once again. He was about two or three inches taller than Ichigo, with messy hair and a bored expression. I looked up at his face and gave him a questioning look, "Are we going to spar, or not?"

I kept my voice as even and indifferent as my expression. He looked down, his right hand reaching for his sword hilt. I reached for the sword on my back, my right hand reaching to my shoulder in search of the hilt. I decided tp give this student half a chance of winning, at least.

_How arrogant you sound, Master, _My Zanpakuto sounded amused.

_You're right, _I admitted, _That wasn't very kind of me to think...but it's true, though!_

I could tell that my sword was shaking her head dismissively, _I have no comment as to that assumption. But I don;t see why you wound need to use your left sword anyway. Maybe this will be good for you in the future, to know how to fight with only one sword in case you are partially disarmed. Wouldn't you agree, Master?_

I nodded, _Of course._

"Let's see what you got, runt," The tall man said, smirking at his new addition to the arsenal of insults he had on me. I closed my eyes softly and shook my head slowly from side to side. He wasn't going to get any reaction out of that, since I would merely take it out during our fight. When I opened my eyes, I saw he had a confused expression. Then he was angry at me, like he thought the shaking of my head was supposed to be an insult.

He charged, ripping the unnamed Zanpakuto out of its scabbard and bringing it down with all his anger. I side stepped to the left, using my sword to knock his blow away from me as I did so. The blade cut into the wooden floor, but didn't embed itself into it. But before he could lift his sword, I had spun around on my left foot, going clockwise as I twisted around three hundred and sixty degrees to slash at his side. As my blade came close enough, I stopped it just before it cut him.

"Hit," I muttered in monotone, just loud enough for him to hear.

Then, as he lift his blade up from the ground, I begun another attack. Spinning around once again, I crouched low and put all my weight on my left foot. Then, sticking my right leg out straight and twisting my body to have my right foot horizontal, I slammed my kick into his shin expertly. He fell down on one knee, groaning in pain as he grit his teeth. I jumped up, and landed onto his back, and touched my blade once on both of his sides "Hit", "Hit."

Growling now, he took me by surprise and quickly got to his feet. Since I was still on him, I toppled down to the ground. He capitalized on it and brought his blade down on me. In his anger, he didn't stay his sword over the place it would have struck. In fact, I felt the air displacement of the blade graze my cheek as I instinctively dodged. He lifted his blade again and swung it horizontally and aimed it at my side. I blocked it, my blade pointing to the ground as I did. I got an idea and quickly executed it. Using his brute strength was his primary fighting style. There wasn't much strategy in his movements besides blocking, and I haven't been giving him that many opportunities to do that. I pushed forward, using the leverage I had while the students positioning didn't give him enough. But he was much stronger then me, leverage or not, and forced me back. In a deadlock now, he had the upper hand with his height and strength. My only other options besides pushing back were either to use Kido, which wouldn't count in Zanjutsu and give me a bad score for the day, or to do the opposite of pushing. I chose the latter.

Using flash step, however undeveloped due to lack of any real training, I vanished from sight and appeared ten feet to the student's left. He looked around frantically, trying to find my small frame and my white hair. I found him first, flashing again just as his gaze shot in my direction, and landed on his broad shoulder. I put the dull edge of my blade to his throat, ending the match. Even if that match was short, I found that I had started to breath heavily from slight exhaustion. I sighed, taking a deep breath in afterwards.

The student growled, but stayed his hand as he knew he had lost. I hopped down, sheathed my blade, and moved so that I stood before him exactly as we had started. I nodded my head once in place of the bow, and he did the same. We parted, him silently going to another pair to watch while I went in search of a certain carrot top. Finding the spiky orange hair fighting with another student, I flashed over to watch more closely. They were in the middle of a deadlock, but Ichigo's opponent mimicked the same jerking motion Kisuke had used during Ichigo's exam a while ago and Ichigo's blade almost sunk into the ground again. But Ichigo hadn't been using nearly as much of his strength as before and his blade only went to the side slightly. The student facing him saw this, and thrust his blade forward to take advantage of at least the temporary hole in Ichigo's defense. The tip of the blade touched Ichigo's chest, and the student called out softly with a relieved tone, "Hit."

Ichigo, grinning, jumped back and assumed a fighting stance, therefore resetting the battle. The other student charged, his blade raised. But the bell telling us that the first of our classes were over sounded. But the student was still running at Ichigo with his sword at the ready. Ichigo smirked, but it swiftly changed to a look of confusion as I suddenly appeared from a flash step and drop kicked the students face. He flew to his right, and crumbled to the ground. I righted myself as I began to fall from the students height of about six feet, and landed softly on my small feet.

Ichigo smiled, "You could have just told him to stop, Misami. He probably would've rather that happen then what you just did."

I shrugged returning his smile since no one was looking, "Whatever, Ichi. C'mon, we have to make it to Hoho in time!"

He nodded and turned around as I hopped up just in time for me to land on my usual spot on his shoulder, "Alright, we'll be there in a sec."

I felt the familiar sensation of being ripped through space as Ichigo entered his flash step. We appeared and disappeared multiple times in the halls in between Ichigo's flash steps, until we reached the Hoho room. I remained on his back, since this class already had it's students take its exam. The class wasn't all that large, compared to most of the classes Ichigo and I took. Since this was a part of the core curriculum at the Academy, there was a sizable number, but most of them were just barely passing. It was a hard class, and I was looking around for the leader boards. In the Zanjutsu class room, Urahara had a board similar to the one I was currently trying to find, and it showed I was tied for second with Ichigo. But that was one test and it was with a lot of students whom had better swordsmanship then agility. In this class, as I now realized as I layed eyes on the leader boards, I was two spots behind Ichigo. Ichigo was third place. The three that were in front of him were from the families that had dedicated there entire house to the Punishment Division, so it wasn't all that shocking once that little tidbit of information was made known to us.

"Kurosaki," The stern teacher from the Second Squad said, "Tsukino, you were told not to use Flash Step in the halls!"

"Sorry," We both said in unison, with me sinking to hide behind Ichigo's shoulder from the death glare the teacher was sending me.

"One hundred laps around the school grounds!" She yelled, "This has been your fourth offense since you were warned."

Ichigo shrugged and turned to leave, while I climbed back up to peak over his shoulder once the teacher couldn't look into my eyes again. There was something about that look that just unsettled me, and I didn't know why. Maybe it was the killer intent that I read from her spiritual pressure.

Soon we were outside and using our Flash Step to circle the enormous multistory Soul Reaper Academy. Ichigo kept pace with my slightly meeker Flash Step, so we would finish at the same time. At my pace it took us about thirty minutes to complete our "punishment". Though, it was more taxing on me despite my smaller size since my endurance was still lacking. Ichigo, however, was unaffected and completely fine. I tiredly climbed up the folds of his uniform to my spot on his shoulder once again. Since Ichigo leaned forward quite a bit when he used Flash Step, I found very quickly that I could fall asleep without tumbling down to the ground. I drifted into a light sleep while Ichigo carried me.

* * *

"Tsukino," said a stern voice, "Tsukino, wake up this _instant_."

I bolted upright, but was held in place by Ichigo's arms. My arms had been dangling and there was drool running from the corner of my mouth. I wiped the saliva away just as I noticed I was being stared at very intently by my Hoho teacher. I looked up at Ichigo with and said, "Put me down, Ichi."

"Oh," Ichigo looked down and grinned slightly, "My bad."

He let me down, and I stood up to look at the teacher. I gave her a small bow, speaking in a monotone as my features returned to the expression of indifference, "I apologize for falling asleep, ma'am."

She growled at my empty tone, as if she expected for me to at least sound scared, "Go join your class, Kurosaki, Tsukino. Stay out of trouble."

We both nodded and ran over to join the class as they ran through exercises to improve their skill. I barely paid attention to the techniques they were trying to teach me, since none of them seemed to work for me like they did others. All I felt I needed was to practice and train to improve my Flash Step. Then there was the fact that Yoruichi had promised to train me in Flash Step as well as fighting. That, I couldn't wait for.

Next was Hakuda, and after that was Kido. Hakuda was easy enough for me, I was third in the class since the fighting that was taught was closer to what I had to do in Hanging Dog when some kids got too mad. The other two in front of my in Hakuda were rumored to have been taught by Sui-Fon, the 2nd Division Captain. But that didn't matter to me.

Hoho class passed by quickly, since Ichigo and I did miss half of it while we ran around the Academy. I hopped onto Ichigo's back again and he started to walk to the Hakuda room. Students looked curiously at us as always, some whispering a giggling. I never cared to actually listen to the various rumors that plagued the Academy, but it still annoyed me that they were laughing at Ichigo's and I's expense. My expression hardened to ensure that that annoyance was not known to anyone else. Except to Ichigo, who looked at me as he turned his head to me.

"Don't let them get to you, Misami," Ichigo whispered, lighting his scowl up barely so that only I could tell he had done so, "Just because you look weaker then them, and you come from a different place, doesn't mean they are any better than you. You know Rukia went through the same thing when she went through the Academy, and look how she turned out."

My expression lighted up just enough, "She got a free pass when the Kuchiki's adopted her, though. I don't have that to count on."

"But you have Rukia," Ichigo looked at me with sympathetic eyes, scowl unrelenting. The contrast was enough to kill, really, but he continued on, "And you have me. And you have a Zanpakuto to keep you company. That's three things that I would be grateful for if I were in your place."

I rested my small head on Ichigo's shoulder, the hands holding onto Ichigo's uniform gripping the fabric and bunching it up. I closed my eyes slowly, knowing we were getting close to the Hakuda. I let my stoic expression drop, and let my childish emotions be displayed. But my eyes were shaded away from view by my hair. A tear escaped my eye and tailed down my cheek, until it reached Ichigo's uniform and vanished into the fabric. I muttered the words so softly that if Ichigo hadn't given my a glimpse of his soft smile, I would have thought it was lost to the breeze wafting through a nearby open window, "Sorry, Ichigo."

He looked at me, a scoffed in a non-condescending way, "There's nothing to apologize for, Misami."

I looked down at the uniform clutched in my small hands, "Thank you."

Ichigo smiled at me, with no one else to witness it, "There's nothing to thank me for, either."

* * *

Hakuda blazed by, with me almost winning against the first ranked student in the class. But she pulled a move I'd never seen, and I was too weak to counter correctly, so I had lost in front of the entire class. They laughed, since I must have fallen comically, but my indifferent expression remained. I didn't care anyway, since I was really just waiting until Kido class. Kido and Zanjutsu were to two disciplines that I excelled at. Since all my classes were Advanced, and the fact that someone like Ichigo was with Zanjutsu was in everyone of them, I wasn't the best in class until it came to Kido. I had looked over to Ichigo as he rose to spar with one of the two that had tied for second place. He had a approving look in his amber eyes, shattering the irritation that had building up inside of me at the class. I'd watched passively until the class as dismissed by the gong of the bell.

Now, as I peeked over Ichigo's shoulder, I saw the familiar sign that held the name of my favorite Kido teacher. Ichigo's scowl lighted just a touch when a small Soul Reaper peeked out the door and looked our way. I lifted one of my hands from the folds of Ichigo's uniform and waved enthusiastically with a big grin on my face. The hall way was almost empty and everyone was hurrying to their classes, so no one saw all three of our big and stupid looking grins. Well, mine anyway, Ichigo and Rukia were just smiling.

"Hey, Misami!" Rukia called, "How did your exam go?"

"Oh," I said as we neared the classroom, "Ichigo took way too long, so I didn't get a chance to have mine."

"Hey," Ichigo said, as all our usual stoic expressions, and Ichigo's scowl returned, but we still knew we were happy to see one another, "Don't blame it on me. It's not my fault Urahara tricked us into leaving so early."

"Urahara tricked you?" Rukia looked up at us, "What do you mean?"

"Kisuke had a friend of his that he wanted to meet me," I said, falling away from Ichigo's shoulder and landing next to Rukia as I spoke, "Her name was Yoruichi Shihoin."

"Really?" Rukia sounded surprised, "Did she want anything else?"

I nodded, "She said that she was going to train me for three days, and teach me how to do flash step better."

"That's great, Misami," Rukia said, giving me a reassuring smile, "I'm happy for you!"

"Thanks, Rukia," I couldn't help but smile back, "Well, I guess we better get to our desks, then."

Rukia sighed then nodded, "That's right. Don't worry, we are going to the training grounds today."

I smiled and went to my desk. Training grounds meant that we would be using Kido. Using Kido meant that I could display my skills proudly, like Zanjutsu. And that meant that no one will be laughing at me during the class. I was relived, to say the least.

_I can see that you are happy again, Master, _my Zanpakuto said softly.

_I am, _I mentally smiled in response, _You know I hate it when everyone is staring at me like I'm not supposed to be there._

_I know, Master, _The sword sighed, _But you shouldn't be too worried about what they think about you. _

It was my turn to sigh, _Well, I'm glad that I won't have to worry about that for three weeks. Right?_

The sword chuckled, _That much is true Master. _

"All right, Class," Rukia said with the strong and regal noble tone that only Kuchiki's could pull off, "We are going to the training grounds today. All types of targets have been set up, so you may work on any spell you need to get comfortable with. Since I know that most of you will not even think of studying, or training, over the break, I suggest that you take advantage of this time I am giving you. Which means no idleness whatsoever during class today. If you can't bare to touch any Kido that is difficult for you, then I want you to practice Hado No. 1 until you barely have to power to stand. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" I responded with the class in unison.

"Then let us go," Rukia said, and the entire class rose as one and filed out in a single file line.

In the hall, I was two people in front of Ichigo in the line, and I kept fighting the urge to jump onto his shoulder like I always did. It had become a habit that I rather enjoyed, a special thing that Ichigo and I shared. Rukia, walking past me on her way to the front of the line, must have noticed this and gave me a small smile muttering an apology. I gave her an equally small smile and shook my head to tell her I'd be fine. The silent exchange ended with Rukia nodding and continuing on to the front of the line. We arrived at the training ground soon after.

"Alright," Rukia said as she opened the doors to the training grounds, "You're training starts now."

The students quickly dispersed. Some went to the firing range and practiced the Hado spells that required that facility, like the 33rd and 31st spell. Some went to practice the Bakudo on the stationary dummies. I decided to practice Enkosen since it hadn't worked very well in my inner world. And maybe some Hado spells that I was a little rusty on. Ichigo was following me as we headed to the open area to the side of the firing range. I knew Ichigo needed to practice some of the general Hado, so it would work out perfectly. I heard him stop behind me and I continued on for another ten feet. Then I stopped, and only drew the sword at my back. Taking a defensive stance, with my free hand bracing at the other end of the sword, I prepared for Ichigo's attack. Ichigo, seeing my movements, knew what he had to do.

Taking the proper stance, feet square, and palm outstretched as the red ball began to form before and only grew as he chanted, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado No. 31 Shakkaho!"

The red flaming ball of Kido surged towards me, a little wobbly and unstable, as I muttered quietly to my sword as I concentrated on the spell, "Bakudo No. 39: Enkosen."

The dull yellow energy first appeared as a small, rapidly spinning disk. Then the Bakudo expended to full size just in time to block Ichigo's Hado. Much to my relief, my Kido held against the strong force of Ichigo's attack. But not without a little strain on my part, which wasn't what I wanted to have to deal with during a fight. I nodded my approval of Ichigo's Hado excecution, "You're getting better, Ichi!"

"Thanks!" He called back, "Next?"

I nodded and resumed my stance, as Ichigo begun his next Hado.

Ichigo assumed the same stance and position as before, then began to chant, "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!"

My favorite offensive spell surged towards me as a torrent of pale blue flames. "Bakudo No. 39: Enkosen!"

The disk appeared, and this time I somehow fended off the Hado without any difficulty. Proud of myself, I yelled, "Good job, Ichigo! That was perfect!"

"Thanks, Misami!"

"How about I try some Hado?" I called, "I haven't seen your Bakudo in a while."

Ichigo shrugged, "Why not?"

I nodded and assumed the position, "Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!"

The Kido rushed towards Ichigo as and avalanche of pale fire. Even without the incantation, my Hado was still stronger then Ichigo's was. As the Kido neared Ichigo he assumed the position and muttered the name of the Bakudo. The disk of Enkosen appeared and halted my Had for a split second. Then, just as the last of my attack hit him, his Bakudo shattered and Ichigo had to block the rest by raising his spiritual pressure. Then he did something to stop me from performing my next Hado.

He muttered the name and suddenly a crackling rope of yellow energy appeared in his hand. Ichigo threw the rope, and it raced towards me. The Bakudo latched onto my arm, then my other arm, and ripped them behind my back. My hands bound by the Hainawa, a Bakudo Ichigo had recently mastered, I sighed and waited for him to release the spell. Grinning triumphantly, Ichigo flicked his wrist to the side with dismissive finality. My arms were released, and the Kido dissipated. We continued to practice various Kido, taking turns in Hado and Bakudo, the levels reaching all the way up to Hado No. 54. Rukia was around the entire training grounds, aiding and sometimes scolding students during the entire period.

Much to the relief of some students, the final bell sounded, and they left quietly for their dorms. I, with a happy grin, hopped onto Ichigo's shoulder and we walked over to Rukia. She noticed our approach and turned towards us, giving my a soft smile, "Now you have three weeks off Misami! What are you going to do?"

"Train," I smiled, "Yoruichi is meeting me in the Zanjutsu classroom at noon tomorrow ."

"That's great," Rukia said, the looking up at me with a questioning look, "Where are you going to stay over the break?"

I gave that some thought, "I don't know. I thought I could stay at the dorms..."

"I was afraid of that," Rukia said, "They said that they didn't want to house students over the break and will be sending them home in the meantime."

My face fell, knowing what that meant for me but saying it anyway, "I'll have to go back to Hanging Dog."

But Rukia was smiling, "Actually, I have a proposition for you."

I looked over, curious at Rukia's sudden smile, "What is it, Rukia?"

"I want for you to stay with me at the Kuchiki Manor," Rukia said with kind formality.

"Re-_really_?" I was so shocked that I fell of Ichigo and tumbled to the ground. Landing on my feet, but not able to really stand up, I stared dumbfounded at the petite Soul Reaper, "You-you can't be serious, Rukia...There's no way your family could want for my to stay there for three _weeks_."

"On the contrary," Rukia smiled, giggling slightly at my ungraceful fall and shocked expression, "My brother asked himself if I wanted for you to stay."

"Wait," Ichigo gave Rukia a confused look, "_Byakuya _asked if she could stay? Really?"

Rukia nodded earnestly, "As a matter of fact, he did. And stop calling by his first name! It's disrespectful, and you know it."

"Whatever," Ichigo said, "I still don't believe that your brother would ask something like that. No offense, Misami."

"None taken," I said, still looking at Rukia with a bewildered expression, "Rukia...you wouldn't mind me staying with you?"

"Are you kidding?" Rukia laughed, "I'd love for you to stay with me. You'd get to meet my brother, and you'll get to see the Sereitei, too!"

"I...I don't know what to say..." I said, speechless.

"Fool," Rukia smiled, "You just say, 'Yes, I'd love to'."

"Well," I said, smiling back, "Yes, I'd love to!"


	6. The Princess of Flash

**Author's Note: Hey, sorry if this was a little late of an update. My computer crashed over the weekend and I had to go get another one. Also, I'd like to let you know, just to clarify, in this AU, it's after the Fullbringer Arc but I wanted to stretch out the time between it and the Quincy War. Also, all the characters are Pre-Time Skip appearances. I just personally liked those looks for the Bleach characters and I have a hard time imagining the Bleach universe with the new looks for all the characters. If you don't like that, then just pretend that they look like they do Post Time Skip. But try and think of how they look before the Time Skip. Also, any pairings that you'd like to see in this story, Private Message me those suggestions. But IchiRuki is set in stone. Sorry, Ichihime fans. **

**If you like the story, then please REVIEW! This is my first Bleach Fanfiction, and the feedback I get motivates me to write more for you guys! Case and point: The last chapter. I saw the reviews and the follows and I doubled the size of my chapter in one night to 8k words!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! I'm glad that you enjoy my story! I hope that I continue to make it as good as I can for your continued enjoyment! Thanks for the follow, too! You rock!**

**Thank you, Scarease, for reviewing! It makes me happy to see that you thought the last chapter was good! I hope this one was just as enjoyable! Maybe more?**

**Thank you, Anonymous, for reviewing! It makes he excited to see that you enjoyed my story, and I can only hope that I cane exceed your expectations as the story progresses! Here's the next chapter since you asked oh so nicely!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, sadly, but I do own my OCs, the plot, and the ideas.**

Takeshi Yagami roamed the desolate sands of Hueco Muendo. Irritated and tired of boredom, his gaze swept over the landscape of his home of millennium. He saw a few Hollows here and there, but none of them even worth the attention he gave them. Said Hollows stayed a fair distance away from him anyway, since his power would crush them if they drew near. But there was something else there, far off and below. Something completely the opposite of a Hollow. _Soul Reapers_. Soul Reapers were in the Menos Forest. If it were possible for him to grin evilly, Takeshi would definitely be doing such an act. From what he could sense, there were about twenty of them, with a stronger one in the lead. Takeshi started towards the presence of his new prey. The sands now seemed to glow, the ever-present moon shimmering, now that he had something to occupy him. Something that actually seemed interesting.

Because Takeshi knew for a fact that, if he were to let one of the Soul Reapers live after he was finished, more would come after he had his fun. The more he killed, the more they would send. Eventually working up the hierarchy to a Lieutenant, maybe a Captain if he was lucky. That thought made him wish he could smile even more. The thought of such powerful beings, possibly more powerful than him, that he could fight. He would wish to go on existing if he could just have a fresh and long lasting fight. A reason to train again, to become stronger. His feet carried him to the spot above the Soul Reapers, with Takeshi having placed power restraints on his wrists and his legs so that his power level was that of of the Menos Grande that were so numerous down in the forest below. He pondered on how he should approach his fight. Soul Reapers tended to spread rumors of powerful Hollows, just as Hollows capable of speech spread rumors of Soul Reapers. Takeshi shrugged. He could care less what the Soul Reapers thought of him. As long as they came to fight him, he'd be fine.

Without so much as lifting a finger, Takeshi made the white sands under his black taloned feet dissipate and fall away from under him. As soon as the sands were moved, they revealed the party of Soul Reapers. They looked up, squinting at the shaft of light that had appeared above them and there eyes then widened. As Takeshi crashed thunderously to the hard packed ground of the Menos Forest, he realized that he had forgotten how tall and large he really was. The small and pitiful Soul Reapers before him were all average height, most around five feet and eleven inches tall at the least and six feet two inches at the most. The strongest, the leader, was a about the power level of a Tenth Seat. Maybe a Ninth. He was the only one not frozen with fear and reaching for his sword, his Zanpakuto.

"Everyone, clear out!" He yelled, snapping everyone out of there daze, then he looked straight at Takeshi and released his Zanpakuto, "Trample, Funsai Boru!"

His sword morphed into a mace with spikes in all directions. His comrades, seeming to grow a spine when they saw the leaders sword release, came back with swords drawn and determined looks in their eyes. They had charged, then they all stopped suddenly. The leader, having stayed back while his friends had tried to get him an opening with that charge, stared dumbfounded. The Vasto Lorde had not moved, in fact, and stared at the Soul Reapers that had charged at him. Then they all crumbled to the ground, the buzz of the Vasto Lorde's Sonido filling the chilling air, fatal wounds leaving their bodies in mangled heaps of flesh. Blood stained the white, hard packed sands of the Menos Forest, and flowed in the direction of the only remaining survivor of the Soul Reaper team. The man stood, shocked with his released Zanpakuto gripped tightly in his right hand. He stared, trembling at the Vasto Lorde before him. The Hollow made no move to attack, and the final Soul Reaper took that as both a challenge and and insult. Takeshi saw, by the expression on the Soul Reaper's face, that his opponent knew it was futile and hopeless. But he saw that wash away from his enemy's face as his gaze flicked to each of his fallen comrades that lay between them, drawing their last breaths. He seemed to harden his fortitude, muttering to himself some last promise to his men, and stared defiantly at the Vasto Lorde before him.

"Before you think about charging at me with that fly swatter," Takeshi said, seeing the resolve in the man's eyes was his muscles tensed to run, "I have a deal to make you."

The man blinked, "Wha-what?"

"You heard me," Takeshi said irritated, "The deal is that you can live, and maybe your friends if you hurry, as long as you spread the word that I wish to fight the strongest among your Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Why-?" The soul Reaper said, but her was cut off.

"I'm going to take that as a 'Yes'." The Vasto Lorde said, "My name, by the way, is Takeshi Yagami."

He used a Sonido to disappear from the Soul Reaper's sight. He reappeared in a tree, watching intently as the Soul Reaper started to call for help. Again, Takeshi wished he could grin so he could display how excited he was now that he had the possibility to end the horrible streak of having absolutely no one to challenge him.

Finally, he was going to feel alive again.

* * *

I stood in the Zanjutsu room, my swords strapped to my back just as they always were. I had a Kyokko, the Bakudo used to hide physical objects as well as spiritual pressure, masking the blade at my waist, just so I wouldn't get any looks for having two. I was a good fifteen minutes early for my meeting with the former Shihoin Clan Leader, and I decided I might as well sit until she arrived. Sunlight streamed through the open widow and kissed my small face with it's warmth. My legs softly crumbled beneath me and I found myself on the floor boards of the room. Looking down, I saw the area they had to patch up from Ichigo and I's first sparring match. Seeing that reminded me of the scar that was below my cheek bone and parallel to my jaw line. Like my hair, age, Zanpakuto, skills, and friends, that scar drew attention to me. I didn't like to be stared at because I was different, I didn't like being stared at period. Living alone for a century in the South 78th Rukkon District will do that to a ten year old girl, or an extremely old soul that had the body and mind like a ten year old. I was thinking about getting a scarf to cover up the scar, so I would be at least a little less noticeable even after the Academy. Red, or a white one? I had these three weeks of the break to get stronger, three days of intense training just to start with, then on to Captain level Kido. I couldn't wait until that Kido training was under my belt, both for the increase in my abilities, and the fact that Rukia was going to teach me.

Thoughts swam through my head of what Rukia had talked to me about. She had given orders to the Kuchiki servants to take her stuff as well as mine to the Kuchiki Manor. Rukia, with a big smile on her face, had told me that I was going to get the guest bedroom all to myself. And she had also mentioned that that same room was the one right next to hers. I had told her that there really wasn't anything to have the servants pick up, as I remembered the worn down and dirty kimono I'd arrived in all this time ago. Rukia had smiled.

_"Oh, we can just buy you some clothes," Rukia waved a hand dismissively, as if it was no big deal._

_"Buy me new clothes?" I stared blankly at her, "How?"_

_Rukia smirked, "One of the benefits of being a part of the Kuchiki's is that the funds of the Clan make money almost never an issue, Misami."_

_"You would spend money on me?" I blinked. "Really, Rukia?"_

_"Of course, Misami!" Rukia exclaimed, almost angered now, "Why wouldn't I? You're my friend!"  
_

_"Because," I said, raising my voice slightly, "I'm a nobody? How could you justify that you spend any money on me?"_

_Rukia had stopped before she could say anything, "...That's an explanation for a later date."_

_I'd looked with a confused expression, "What do you mean, Rukia?"_

_She had avoided my gaze, looking out the window, "You'll know what I mean when the time was right. Okay, Misami?"  
_

_"Okay, Rukia," I'd said, dropping the subject. Then wandering out loud, "I wander what it'll be like to be in a noble house..."_

_Rukia, brightening up at the change in the conversation, begun to talk about all the amazing things at the Kuchiki Manor. The food, the clothes, the gardens, the rooms I'll be staying in. She made it sound as if she were describing my new home, telling me exactly what I was supposed to do and don't do. What the manners were when I was at the table, how I was to address her brother and other nobles. The real way to bow and greet others. Rukia gave me her crash course on nobility all through the night and into the following morning. Rukia seemed so happy when we talked about everything to do with me staying over. It made me smile, too. _

"Oh, good," A playful voice cut through my memory, "You're early."

I opened my ice blue eyes, and nodded, "I am. Where are we going to train?"

Yoruichi Shihoin smiled down at my tiny frame, "Follow me, Misami Tsukino."

I rose, just as she disappeared in a flawless flash step. I sighed and followed her in my own flash step, which was by comparison absolutely pitiful. Nonetheless, I raced after her. I watched the grounds of the Academy and the surrounding Sereitei. There were some gardens and grassy hills that seemed like good spots if I were to want to escape from anyone's attention and think in peace. I took a mental note of every one of those possible locations all the way to my destination. The sky was beautiful, a clean slate of azure without a cloud in sight. It made the Soul Society seem even larger than it ever did, despite the fact that the Sereitei alone was example enough. I saw countless soul reapers, their black Shihakusho uniforms flowing as they milled around doing their work. I smiled to myself, daydreaming just for an instant what I would look like in those black garments. But I didn't let my focus remain there long, since if I were to lose concentration for more then about four seconds, I would lose control of my Flash Step. And that didn't have the most desirable consequences. Shaking my head, I looked ahead and continued to trail the purple haired Shihoin.

I eventually was so far behind Yoruichi that I had to use the trail of her Spiritual Pressure in order to find her. She stopped in a cave, in the side of a mountain in the Seireitei, from what I could sense. I was about five minutes behind Yoruichi, and I saw the cave she'd entered. It was about a hundred foot above the woods surrounding it, its mouth boarded up like it was an abandoned store front. I landed delicately in front of the closed entrance and found there was a space between two boards that I could just barely fit in. I quietly did just that and my eyes were met with a slightly unsurprising sight.

Though I speculated that, given my tutor was a Clan Leader of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, the place she would choose to train me would be a fancy place, I wasn't shocked to find the room I was in trashed. It was boarded up after all, greatly hinting that it was an abandoned cave, but I thought that the place seemed a little _too _dirty. Certain jars were left open, their contents still packed into them without a care in the world. Dirty rags, bandages bloodied and carelessly tossed on the ground next to a used mat with a depressed headrest. There was a change of what looked like Yoruichi's trademark outfit wrapped in a dirty looking rag with a hint of the orange jacket peeking through the knotted fabric. The sunlight shone in from the cracks in the boards, illuminating some of the jars and hand crafted straw baskets. It smelled like someone hadn't cleaned this place in a century, but there was no sigh that it had even been her that long. There wasn't any compromise in the structural integrity of this cave. I smiled, Yoruichi _had _purposely left this place unkept. Maybe to ward off any trespassers or freeloaders with the sight of such disrepair?

I sensed the Spiritual Pressure of Yoruichi once more and began to follow it further into the cave house. It slowly lead me to a hidden hallway that wasn't lit by the faint light cast through the cracks in the boards. There were three rooms, and I probably would have looked into them if I didn't feel an overwhelming feeling of impatience emanating from Yoruichi. The trail lead me into a small room with an open hatch in the middle. The hatch was at the top of a ladder, and at the mouth of a tunnel that lead deep into the ground to end in a small pin prick of light. I realized, much to my shock, that Yoruichi's Spiritual Pressure was in the air next to the ladder, and nowhere on it. That meant she had jumped down the entire length of the tunnel, and, as I now sensed, down a good two hundred feet more then that. After that she seemed to have gone to wait at a rock for me to arrive. I concentrated on the density of the spiritual pressure and realized how she had survived that enormous fall. I smirked, knowing I could mimic that exact technique, though I would have to compensate for my small frame and different amount of Spiritual Pressure.

_No, Master, that's not- _I heard my Zanpakuto's protests too late.

I jumped up just enough and then felt myself plummet into the tunnel instantly, the air rushing past my face and whipping my long hair up and causing it to trail behind me. The dark of the tunnel became less and less absolute as I reached the end of the tunnel, the ladder a blur as I fell and a fast speed. When I shot out of the bottom of the tunnel, light slammed into my eyes and shattered any night vision I had accumulated over the five minutes I'd spent in relative darkness. I still had a good two hundred feet left to go, and I began to copy Yoruichi's technique. I focused my Spiritual Pressure into my legs, my hips, and my feet. I concentrated on using the remaining amount to deaden my fall just before I reached the hard packed ground. I breathed in and out slowly, so I could focus properly.

When I landed onto the ground, my eyes shut, I heard a small thud accompanying the shock that shot through my body. The thud was a lot louder then I would have expected, but the shock of the landing had been almost nonexistent. How I did that correctly, I had no idea.

_You did that perfectly, Master, _My Zanpakuto chimed in, seeming to breath a sigh of relief.

_Thanks, _I thought back, opening my eyes.

What met my gaze was a strange desert like, canyon like cavern. There was no canyon, really, but there was plenty of rock formations that looked like they belonged in such a place. The roof of this enormous cave was a perfect dome, and seemed to be as bit as the Academy grounds. Maybe bigger. There seemed to be a hot spring nearby, since I could hear the rush of a small stream as it emptied into the actual pool area, and steam rose in a white haze from its waters. This place must have taken a century to empty, using a ton of people to do the task, how could it be so enormous and that not be so? How many people even knew of that boarded up cave's secrets. Not many, I figured, otherwise I would sense at least someone using this place for training.

"Ah, finally," Yuroichi exclaimed, appearing from a Flash Step, "Now we can get down to business."

"Right," I nodded, "What's first?"

"Flash Step, of course," Yoruichi said, "You need to get way better at it if you intend to do anything with me at all."

I smiled, "Good, I'd hate to drag you down, Lady Shihoin."

Yoruichi stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me, "Oh, no, not you too. Okay, rule number two after being better at Flash Step, call me 'Yoruichi'. Not Lady anything, or Miss either. I can't stand those formalities."

I nodded, earnestly, I didn't want her to get mad at me just from her distaste on the subject alone, "I got it, Yoruichi."

She grinned, "Good. Now, on to your training..."

I was numb after the first hour of her training. Countless repetitions of the same aspect of the Flash Step, endless drills to improve that muscle group, until it became muscle memory and second nature. Then it was on to the next aspect, then the next and the next. I lost feeling towards the exhaustion, it was like a distant memory, like I knew it was there but there was no emotion towards it. The same with the soreness of my muscles I'd drilled. And as soon as my tutor realized I was past that threshold, she just pushed me all the more. Driving the proper technique into my brain, and therefore my muscles, until it was as natural as breathing. I broke past every single limitation I thought I'd had, the progress I was seeing and the praise I was getting from my Zanpakuto every so often fueled my efforts. I had an endless reserve of energy and resolve to keep on pushing my body to the limit. Yuroichi was grinning the entire time, like my determination reminded her of another one of her pupils, as she calmly balanced on a high rise and instructed me through each of the things she wanted me to do. Without hesitation I had obeyed, my concentration only distracted long enough to hear the instructions, then execute them. If I broke concentration for a moment, I feared that the vise grip of exhaustion would clap onto my body and drag me down to the ground in a panting mess. Some time later, I heard the most curious command:

"Alright, that's enough for today, Misami," Yuroichi said, "You can stop."

"But-" I'd retorted, continuing to practice my Flash Step to keep my body from slowing down.

"Let me rephrase that," Yoruichi cut me off, "Stop. Now."

Sighing, I obeyed. I landed, appearing from my Flash Step, the air I had displaced racing past me now, rustling my uniform and my hair forward with its soft breeze. Yoruichi grinned, then turned around and motioned for me to follow. I flashed to her side and assumed her leisurely pace. She'd grinned wider and looked down at me. I looked up and smiled meekly, feeling the arms of exhaustion closing in on me. I instantly focused on that for some reason. My legs, understandably, were the first to feel like lead had replaced the muscles. The it was my rapidly beating heart, pounding against my rib cage. Then, for one reason or another, my arms felt tired as well. All my joints from the lower half of my body were groaning now from the effort it took to stand. Much less walk on such short legs, while maintaining the pace of such a tall woman. My body was so sore. How long had I been training? The walls of this cave were so disorienting, making it impossible to tell time without counting of every passing second. Eventually, after what seemed like miles to me thanks to my exhausted body, we came to the hot spring I had thought I'd heard.

"Okay, Misami," Yoruichi said, "Go ahead and take off that sweaty uniform and hop in. I want you to stay in the water until you feel strong enough to get out without looking so tired. After that, you can sleep. Got it?"

I'd blinked at when she told me to take off my clothes, but then again I was going to take a bath. I didn't want to get my uniform dirty. So as Yoruichi considerately turned her back to me, I slipped out of my Academy uniform and into the welcoming waters of the hot spring. The water covering my body with a warm sensation that made me forget all about how exhausted I was. I dived under the water, the fluid soaking my long white hair. The water felt amazing on my small frame, my skin, and it made me feel as if it were squeezing the soreness and exhaustion right out of my body. The steam filled my lungs as inhaled deeply and breathed out with a satisfied sigh. I looked down at my legs and arms. All the bruises and abrasions I had obtained during my training were healing at and astonishing rate. The water was _healing _me. I smiled, amazed at the water's ability and the fact that Yoruichi had it in anticipation of wounds that would need to be heal quickly. I stayed in the water for a good while, closing my eyes and relaxing in the relaxing liquid.

_I'm proud of your progress, Master, _My Zanpakuto beamed, _It's astonishing how how you worked in the short time you were given. _

_Thank you, my friend, _I smiled softly, despite myself. My sword always was encouraging, chiming in just when I would start to doubt myself. She was a loyal friend, and a part of my soul. I felt thankful to have her by my side, grateful for all her kind words and constant companionship.

_Anytime, Master, _my sword said, _Soon, you shall have my name. I know that your new teacher is going to start training you to attain it, and that training is all you need to gain my power. _

_Right, _I nodded.

"Like the water?" Yoruichi's voice sounded behind me.

I slipped lower into the water, the steaming liquid concealing my body while only my head and neck remained above the water. Yoruichi just grinned at my shyness. _She had expected it, of course,_ I thought. But I looked into her eyes and smiled as I answered, "Yes, it's amazing!"

"Sorry," Yoruichi added, "But I don't think it will work on that scar you have there. Since that wound is completely healed, I think."

I was a little disappointed, but I didn't show it, "Oh, that's okay, Yoruichi!"

"Good," She smiled, then she held up a small black bundle after she placed my Zanpakutos on the ground, "Here, put this on after you dry off."

I eyed the bundle as she placed it softly on a nearby rock, a towel on top of it, "What is it?"

"A Shihakusho," Yoruichi smiled, "I found your uniform size and had this one made just for you. I have connections, so don't ask who made it."

My eyes widened at the word 'Shihakusho', "For me?"

She nodded, "You're going to be wearing it pretty soon anyway, Misami. Better to start early, right? Oh, and I think I left you a scarf since it might get chilly after you get out of that hot spring. What's with that look?"

I was staring incredulously at her, my jaw hanging open in astonishment, "How could you possibly know I was thinking about wearing a scarf, Yoruichi?"

She blinked, "Huh, what a coincidence. Really, I had no idea that you were considering it."

It was my turn to blink, but I decided to change the subject before more shocking things were revealed, "So will we start my Shikai training tomorrow?"

Yoruichi nodded, "Yup, that's it. Which means you'll be fighting with your Zanpakuto tomorrow. So I'm going to need you to get some rest."

I nodded, turning back to the water. I heard Yoruichi turn and walk away, the bundle remaining on the small rock. I sighed, not wanting to leave the warm and comfortable waters, but at the same time wanting to try on my own Shihakusho. I rose from the hot spring, the steam filling my lungs once again, the water cascading down my small body and dripping of my long hair. There were strands of my hair that were plastered to my face, and I shivered at the temperature difference between the spring and the air. Crossing my arms over my chest, I Flash Stepped to the bundle. I grabbed the towel and quickly dried myself off, then I found the white under garment part of the Shihakusho. Slipping that on, as well as all other necessary under garments, I quickly found my new black trousers. Sliding into them, I found that they were a perfect fit. I couldn't help but smile as I continued to clad my self in the clothing that Soul Reapers were famous for wearing. The black robe like shirt came next, folding one side against my body and then the other. Tucking it in, and pulling the collar taunt to finish the job.

I looked down. _I'm in a Shihakusho, _I thought to myself in disbelief, taking in the sight of the black clothing I was now dressed in.

_You seem excited, Master, _my Zanpakuto giggled, _Did you really think about this before? You are a Soul Reaper now. If not in the eyes of the rest of the world, then at least in mine._

_I agree, my friend, _I smiled even wider, so wide that it hurt. I smiled like that only about five or so times, since now I generally gave just small smiles and saved those big, stupid grins for the people closest to me. But I couldn't help myself. These clothes I was wearing were going to be the uniform required of me if I became what I traveled all this way for. _When _I became what I traveled all this way for. This was to prove to my late family that I am stronger then I was back then, that I am capable now of protecting my new family. They felt to me like I was meant to wear them, like they were always mine from the moment I'd put them on. I reached for the socks, slipped them on, and them strapped the sandals that came with them. I retrieved my Zanpakuto from the ground where Yoruichi had left them. After my two swords were in their rightful places at my hip and my back, I placed the Bakudo on the sword at my hip and it disappeared from sight.

Looking back down and saw the white scarf Yoruichi had given me. It was long enough to wrap around my neck multiple times and still have the ends of the scarf hanging over my back. I pulled the folds of the scarf up and positioned them so they obscured my scar, but that also covered up my face up to my nose in the process. I tossed the ends of the scarf over my shoulder when I was finished. Satisfied with my new attire, I left in search of Yoruichi.

I found her sitting near the entrance to the cave itself, the tunnel that lead to the surface. She smiled at me and motioned for me to continue my approach. I obliged and pressed forward to meet her.

"You've done a terrific job for your first day, Misami. You made just as much progress as Ichigo when he was training for Bankai. I am extremely impressed."

"Thank you, Yoruichi," I smiled, stopping as I reached her form as she sat on a small rock formation.

She smiled back, "Anytime, Misami."

Then she reached behind the rock formation she was on and drew out a rolled up mat. She kindly handed it to me, "Take this, I'd rather you not sleep on dirt tonight after you worked so hard. Take a load off, I'll come back when it's time to start your next training session, okay?"

I nodded quickly, "Okay, Yoruichi."

Then she disappeared in her notorious Flash Step. I sighed and dropped the rolled up mat she had just handed me. I kicked it gently, and it unrolled to its full length. I softly laid down onto the mat and started to make myself feel comfortable. My thoughts drifted to how it felt to have been trained nonstop for an entire day on Flash Step and it resulting in such a massive improvement. I was thankful that Yoruichi was training me as well as she was, but I found myself missing Rukia and Ichigo just a little bit. This was the first day in about six months that I had gone through without seeing either of them, and I still was a child. They were my only family now, as well, even if it wasn't a legally recognized family. With Rukia being a noble, and Ichigo being as famous and powerful as he was, I doubt that would ever be a legal thing. I smiled thinking, daydreaming of what it would be like if that were so. I sighed, shaking off my missing them, and my thoughts, and trying to push it into the back of my mind.

_They miss you too, Master, _My Zanpakuto said

_I know, but they don't have the childish issues I have to deal with, though, _I responded.

My Zanpakuto agreed, _That much is true, you seem to think of them as a brother and sister, from what I gather. And you look up to them as such. No pun intended._

_I can't believe you just called me short,_ I shook my head in disbelief, _And what you said before is true. Rukia is exactly who I wish to grow into being. And Ichigo treats me just as if I were his sister, and protects me like one too. _

_True, and Master?_ My Zanpakuto said, knowing I was starting to nod off to sleep.

_Yes?_ I asked, yawning loudly.

_They will be proud of you,_ She said softly, just as my eyes closed.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face just as I heard the kind words.

* * *

I woke up on my own, the light of the cave stabbing my blurry vision. Groggily, I stood up from the mat and stretched. Yawning, I bent down and started to tenderly roll the mat back up as I had been given it. I left the mat there and headed to the hot spring. I'd dreamed that Rukia and I were sparring, both of our expressions stone cold and indifferent. I had lost and Rukia had shaken her head like I was an enormous disappointment. Much to my dismay. That was what I had woken up to, and I was currently doing my best to forget it. Splashing the water onto my face, to wake me up and refresh myself. The water was inviting, and I resisted the urge to just dive into the warm waters, regardless of the Shihakusho I was clad in. I smiled at the thought and sight of the Shihakusho, like I did every now and then when someone said my name.

It still seemed crazy to me that just six or so months ago, I didn't even had a name to call my own as I had arrived at the Soul Reaper Academy with just the worn kimono on my back. The anxiety, nervousness, and general feeling of being lost was a distant memory. And the moment I had met Rukia seemed like it was yesterday, even though it was the same day as when I had arrived at the Academy. That day was also when I had met Ichigo, and his friend Renji Abari, whom left after the first week or so as he had filled in for a Zanjutsu teacher. That was the same day I had started my training to become a Soul Reaper. How far I had come suddenly hit me, and all I could do was feel an enormous amount of self pride. According to my Zanpakuto, I had already attained the power necessary to become a seated officer in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

I sighed, shaking away my train of thought as I began to focus on the reason for training today. I was going to earn Shikai tomorrow, and today was getting me ready to attain that power. I decided now was as good a time as any, and began to search for her presence.

I closed my eyes for a second and concentrated quickly to find her Spiritual Pressure, and I found it almost immediately. I flashed to her position to find Yoruichi with a stranger next to her. He was looking nervously at me. Then Yoruichi. Then back at me. Instinctively, I felt my right hand itch to draw the sword at my shoulder at the unfamiliar presence. I couldn't sense his presence, which unnerved me to no end. The next fact that made me all but hostile towards this outsider was the fact that he looked exactly like Ichigo in human clothes. My attention flicked towards Yoruichi, who noticed the confusion in my eyes. but I couldn't help but say the words that were running through my mind.

"Ichigo?" I breathed, "Is that you?"

"Wha-?" He said in a voice that didn't sound like Ichigo's at all, giving me an expression Ichigo never really had. Not a scowl. He seemed to gape at me then he stabbed an accusatory finger at me, "You stupid or somethin'? How can you not tell that I'm a Mod Soul with the only dumb body they could give me!?"

Another thing Ichigo has never done, I noted, "Mod-Soul?"

"Now, calm down, Kon," Yoruichi said patronizingly, smiling.

'Kon' growled but listened, muttering something about every one hating him and such as I spoke up, "Yoruichi, what's going on?"

"Kon here is going to help me train you to use your Shikai," Yoruichi explained, "He is a Mod-Soul, and he has agreed to be your opponent in the sparing matches you are about to take part in."

I blinked, "But he doesn't even have a Zanpakuto."

"Who said I needed one, huh, pint size?!" Kon yelled.

I flashed and kicked him hard in the shin for the insult to my height. He crumbled to the ground, cursing and whining. Seeing an image of Ichigo, of all the people in the Soul Society, on the ground and whining while he cried because of injustices that only seemed to exist to him was one of the most disturbing things I ever had to watch. I almost felt like he was insulting Ichigo by doing those things, seemingly, in his body. I sighed, shaking my head ruefully, before turning back to Yoruichi.

"What can he do if that's what happens with a small kick?" I said, an eyebrow raised.

Yoruichi chuckled, "He isn't the only one, Misami. There is actually another whom is going to take over once you complete this first task."

"What task?" I couldn't help but ask.

"All you have to do is cut Kon anywhere on his body, once, and then you can move on to the next phase of your training," Yoruichi explained.

I sighed then looked over at Kon, who had finished his whining fit and was know standing smugly over me. He was, after all, in Ichigo's body, so he towered over me. He crossed his arms, a smirk creeping across his face steadily. He suddenly crouched low to the ground, and seemed to charge his muscles. I still couldn't sense a thing, which was unnerving to say the least, since I felt basically blind now. Then he jumped. Really high. Reacting so he wouldn't get away, I drew my sword and charged after him. Powering up my legs with spiritual pressure, I surged upwards in a Flash Step.

Kon's eyes widened as I came closer and closer. But as I drew near, he started to kick out with all his strength towards me. The kick caught me in my right arm, and sent shock waves throughout my body. In pain, I felt my features harden into the emotionless mask that Rukia had taught me to use. My Zanpakuto almost tore free from my grip, as my body was throw off balance and I had to harden the air directly below me with my Spiritual Pressure so that I seemed to float in mid air. Taking a few deep breaths, I stood up on top of the invisible Spiritual Pressure platform I had created. Kon was falling down towards the ground, glancing over his shoulder to keep tabs on me. I had a feeling he didn't have to, since he likely possessed the ability to sense my Spiritual Pressure, while I couldn't sense his. He landed and started to run at an astonishing speed, without any increase in the power to his legs. Is that what being a Mod-Soul meant? That he a special type of enhancement while the rest of his abilities were normal? It certainly seemed that way.

"C'mon, Short Stuff!" Kon called tauntingly, "You can't get me by just standing there! Heck, maybe you can't get me at all!"

I groaned, shaking my head. I forced my power into my legs and jumped high. As I soared through the air, I re-positioned myself so that my head was directly inline with Kon, then I closed my eyes. Making a solid surface with my Spiritual Pressure, I forced myself to shoot towards Kon at an amazing speed. Using my newly improved Flash Step on tiny platforms I made in the air as I went, I raced towards Kon at a frightening speed. He seemed to notice and dug his heel into the ground to bring him to an almost complete stop, then continued on to the right, away from where I was heading. I groaned in impatience and changed the grip on my sword so that the pommel was in the place of the blade and vise versa. After that was accomplished, I sunk the blade into the ground mid-Flash Step. Using the sword as a pivot point, my body was instantly redirected in Kon's path and subsequently soared towards him. As I was redirected, I ripped my blade from the ground, pushed off another platform with a Flash Step, and continued on towards my objective.

Visibly sweating from worry now, Kon pushed even harder and raced for the edge of the cave. I was right behind him, going as fast as I could while still maintaining control of my Flash Step and the platforms I was making in the process. As he neared the wall, Kon jumped for all he was worth for the wall. He slowed down as he flew through the air, since he could make the platforms I could to push off. But if I continued on at the speed I was going, I would overshoot Kon and slam into the wall of the cave. Judging by the arc and speed Kon was going now, despite knowing knowing how fast I was going, he knew that just as well as I did. I didn't want to lose the chance he had unwittingly given me by slowing down. I quickly formed a plan and, without any time to so much as troubleshoot it, executed it.

"Hado No. 4: Byakurai." I muttered. The pale lighting raced towards Kon. His eyes widened, as he comically tried to get out of the way as he fell. The Hado barely missed Kon's head and it slammed into the wall, which Kon happened to be about twenty of ten feet away from at that moment. The shock wave my Kido produced sent Kon somersaulting helplessly through the air towards me. I was expecting such a reaction and readied my sword. I slashed at the Mod Soul as he pasted by, going too fast myself to stop and give chase. I wrenched around, my feet pointing to the now crumbling wall and my belly to the ground below me. I gripped the air, forcing the atmosphere under my clawing fingers to become so dense it was practically solid with Spiritual Pressure. Just as I had been doing with the platforms, I did that with my hand. It still wasn't enough.

My feet slammed into the wall of the cave, which was cracked and shattered from the Hado I'd shot into it. I instinctively concentrated Spiritual Pressure into the lower half of my body to absorb the remaining energy I still had. Then, as the energy dissipated, pushed off. I aimed myself for the ground, doing a perfect front flip before landing like a ninja, my feet crouched, sword held out horizontally, and my free hand touching the ground in front of my feet for stability.

I looked up and saw Kon, panting and gritting his teeth, with a cut slicing across his left cheek. I'd completed the task Yoruichi had given me. And Kon knew it.

"Well done, Misami!" Yoruichi said, grinning, "You did it perfectly. That Flash Step was as good as if every seen it from you!"

I blushed from the praise despite myself, but only slightly. My emotionless mask was still gripping my features, and I was a little red in the face from the exercise, so no one but my Zanpakuto and I knew it was even there. I called back, "Thank you, Yoruichi!"

"Sure, Misami," Yoruichi said, then she turned to Kon, "You may go now if you wish, Kon."

He grunted, "Fine."

Kon stalked off, rubbing the cut I had just given him as he went. That was another major difference between Ichigo and Kon that made it hard to see it happen. Ichigo didn't look so defeated, and he didn't throw a tantrum like that. I shrugged and turned back to Yoruichi, whom was motioning for me to follow. I obeyed without a question, excited for the next stage in my Shikai training. And, judging by the similar aura coming off of Yoruichi's Spiritual Pressure, so was she. We walked all the way back to the center of the dome, just past the hot spring. It was strange to be in the presence of Yoruichi and to walk the entire way at the same time without so much as a trot to speed up the process. I didn't mind the change, since I had felt I'd earned a little walk rather then being forced to use Flash Step and end up exhausting myself again. When we stopped, Yoruichi made no move to strike up a conversation as she focused on something in the distance. After a good minute she found what she was searching for and a grin broke out across her dark face. I was starting to sense it too, and I wasn't feeling the overwhelming need to grin. A captain level Soul Reaper was racing towards our location at an astonishing speed. The way the Spiritual Pressure was aimed for the mouth of the cave's entrance, this Soul Reaper knew that this cavern was her. I kept tabs on the spiritual pressure until it was falling silently down the shaft that lead to the area we were in now.

A dark cloaked figure plummeted out of the shaft and slammed into the ground below. I instantly recognized the Spiritual Pressure and gave a small smile as the figure came into view, looking far more comfortable in his dark green clothes with his inverted version of a Captain's Haori, wooden sandals and whit and green striped bucket hat. He carried a cane, and used it every few steps out of habit. The hat shaded his grey eyes, and his pale blonde hair hung out from under that same hat.

"Hello, Kisuke," I said.


	7. Angel of Light

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry for the late update! I had a good week of writers block, and no time to work through it! Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter, since I made it extra long for you guys! Over 9,000 words!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I didn't intend for Kon and Misami to develop any romantic feelings. In fact, I severely doubt Kon will be in this story at all. Sorry about that...Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

**Thank you, Scarease, for reviewing! Im glad you enjoyed the last chapter and hope you like this one just as much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only my story plot, idea, and my OC. **

Takeshi Yagami was getting irritated. Angry was right around the corner. The Soul Reapers that were supposed to return to avenge their fallen comrades had not shown up for a week it seemed. This left the Vasto Lorde suffering from the impatience towards the upcoming fight with the aforementioned Soul Reapers. His body twitched, practically begging for an excuse to fight something that was a challenge.

Takeshi scraped the trunk of a tree that grew next to him with his black taloned fingers. The tree, despite being twice as thick as a Living World Red Wood, crumbled in a cascade of shards. If Takeshi had any part of him that cared for pretty things, he would have watched as the shards of the tree fell like diamonds. Bu, seeing as he had no such part of his heart for such things, flared his power just a touch. The shards dissipated into dust thanks to the pressure Takeshi had created. He sighed, looking around the dark Forest, seeing low level Hollows dart this way and that. Their existence was pointless as of right now, as they were the lowest of the Hollows and left to wander the sands of Hueco Muendo with their stomachs empty and their minds driven insane. Takeshi couldn't remember what it was like to live that type of life, if it could be called 'life'. He had ascended to the rank of Adjuches faster then any other Hollow in history, so strong was his will to gain strength. So many of the Gillian fell victim to his power, and them many Adjuches suffered the same fate. Before Hueco Muendo knew what hit it, Takeshi Yagami had ascended to the rank of Vasto Lorde and joined the elite class of Hollows that was so few in number it could be counted on ones hands how many of them existed.

In all the time Takeshi had been a Vasto Lorde, he had only seen one of his kind. The battle, the best he had had in his entire life up to this point, lasted a good three days. Both Vasto Lorde's had been holding back their strength but slowly used more and more of them with each passing hour. Takeshi, obviously, had won in the end and the battle had left a bittersweet taste in his mouth as he devoured the elite Hollow. On one hand, it had been an amazing battle and a very enjoyable one at that. But on the other, given the knowledge that Vasto Lorde were as rare as they were, Takeshi knew that the possibility of his meeting another one of his strength was almost impossible at best.

A Garganta ripped in the distance. Takeshi's head shot up, his senses locking onto the place they had entered the Menos Forest. If he were able to grin evilly, it would have long stretched across his features. Standing tall, Takeshi ripped through space in a Sonido. On the way towards the Garganta, Takeshi placed his restraints on his wrists and ankles. They were from a Hollow he had found one day in the Menos forest about a thousand years ago whom had tentacles that ate away the energy and power of whatever they touched. Takeshi, severing the tentacles and then pressing them onto the Hollows skin, had defeated that adversary and found that he could use these to make all other fights prolonged. After the restraints, which Takeshi had formed into black wrist bands, were in place, he soon arrived at were the Soul Reapers were entering.

Among them were a good five officers, and then about thirty average Soul Reapers. Of the five officers, Takeshi noticed that one was wearing a Lieutenants badge on his left bicep, which was bare. The Lieutenant wore a sleeveless Shihakusho, and had an average looking katana. His face was another story. Three parallel scars ran from the far side of his right forehead down to his jaw, a bandage like cloth running under his left eye just above the "69" that was tattooed to his cheekbone. He had a strong glare, with long but spiky dark hair. There were two ladder like bands on his biceps, one on each arm. Takeshi was intrigued to say the least, his attention only going towards the remaining Soul Reapers long enough to kill them'

Just like that, every Soul Reaper, except the Lieutenant and two higher officers, was cut in half. The officers that sensed what had happened were still injured pretty severely, while the Lieutenant had used the Flash Step technique to dodge the surprise strike immediately. Bleeding badly, the other four officers lacked the energy or ability to release their swords, while the Lieutenant glare in Takeshi's direction.

"Coward!" the Lieutenant yelled, anger evident in his tone, "Striking them down when they had no idea what was going on?!"

Takeshi chuckled menacingly, "Then why didn't you let them know their lives were in danger, then?"

The Soul Reaper merely growled.

"Now that you blame yourself for their deaths, are you going to try and kill me?" Takeshi asked.

Another growl as he drew his sword, and spoke the words, "Reap, Kazeshini."

His katana became two pinwheel like scythe like weapons that were attached by a chain. He charged, hurling a scythe at Takeshi while making it spin. Now a wheel of blades, the weapon surged towards the Vasto Lorde. Suddenly, there were about three cuts on Takeshi's armored skin. Only noting the presence of the wounds, Takeshi let his high speed regeneration take care of the cuts as he slipped into a Sonido. Appearing behind his enemy, Takeshi plunged his taloned hand into the Soul Reapers back. He grit his teeth in pain, but reacted in time before Takeshi could close his clawed hands on his spinal cord to crush it. Before he could get too far away, Takeshi aimed his middle and index finger then began to charge a small Cero. The attack struck the Soul Reaper's arm.

Surprisingly, the armband exploded suddenly as if the Cero had set off an explosive. His arm now basically useless, the Lieutenant began to only use the scythe like weapon in his injured hand. More cuts formed on Takeshi's skin, but he gave them no attention whatsoever. For about an hour, this went on. The Soul Reaper continued to fight as best he could, his arm healing somewhere along the way. Many wounds formed on the armored skin of the Vasto Lorde, and every time he barely sparred them a glance. Eventually, Takeshi grew bored of this and struck a deep wound in the Lieutenants gut then his chest for good measure. The wounds gushed blood, and the pain was obviously extreme by the look in the Soul Reapers gaze.

Takeshi was happy. The fight, now effectively over, was actually not half bad. The four remaining officers had found the strength to fight, attacking along with their Lieutenant. that had caused Takeshi to take off two of the four restraints he had adorned, to combat the combined strength of the Soul Reaper officers. Now, with the Lieutenant bleeding out and the four officers laying unconscious, Takeshi was suddenly bored with this battle and started to withdraw.

"Whe-" He said, before coughing on his own blood and continued to cough before he continued, "Where do you think you're going?! I'm not done with you yet!"

"Yes, you are," Takeshi said, looking over his shoulder as he turned to leave, "Your comrades will die if they do not get help soon, and so will you. I suggest you take advantage of the fact that I am bored with this battle and am giving you a chance to make it out of this alive. Only make sure to send a Captain, a Lieutenant, and maybe two other high officers with them to be sure. That id my one request in exchange for you and your friend's lives."

Takeshi didn't wait for a response and vanished in a Sonido.

* * *

I blinked to make sure I heard him right, "So you're the one I'm going to train for my Shikai with?"

"That's right," Kisuke smiled, "I am the one that trained Ichigo before Yoruichi, after all."

"Really?" I said, "Huh. I guess that explains the way Ichigo acted around you hen he first saw you. How are you going to train me, Kisuke?"

"Well, Misami," Kisuke said making a show of displaying his cane to me, "I am going fight with you until you get your Zanpakuto to release."

I cocked my head without noticing it, "Really? With what? The cane?"

I didn't see any weapons on Kisuke's person, nor in the folds of his clothes. His dark green clothes were like a Soul Reaper's uniform, which I was proudly wearing, and the Haori he had on top of those clothes was like an inverted Captain's coat. But neither showed any signs that it was concealing any sort of blade. That was true, I was certain of it. But now I saw Kisuke grip the curved head of the cane with his right hand and placed his other hand on the shaft of the cane as if it were a sheath. As it turned out, that assumption was right, as Kisuke slide his hidden cane sword from its scabbard. I blinked mild surprise crossing my features. It was unusual for one's Zanpakuto to be in the form of a cane, with the only other example being the Head Captain himself. It was a thin blade, the scabbard falling from Kisuke's grip and uselessly impacting the dirt at his feet. The dust that was kicked up by the landing of the scabbard was blown away as Kisuke's Spiritual Pressure increased immensely, The harsh wind caused by this release of energy rustled my Shihakusho and blew my white hair dramatically around my body. I grit my teeth as he muttered the command, "Awaken, Benehime."

An explosion of light. A wave of crushing power. My knees almost gave from the sudden, unexpected release of this power. I blocked my face with my forearms, my hair bellowing behind me. Grit hit my face, some of it getting under my scarf and scraping my scar. It itched now, but there wasn't any thing I could do. Then the wave of air that came with his release vanished, leaving my face slightly numb from the absence of the pressure. I soon was used to the heavy feeling of Kisuke's power, the grit filtering away from the folds of my clothes, and I found the courage to look Kisuke in the eyes after staring at my small feet. His eyes shimmered with killer intent.

My eyes widened, my body trembled, my fists clenched. I was on auto pilot now. Just instinct driven home through seven months of constant training, and the simple command that allowed it to be freed. My Zanpakuto reassured me, and I smiled the softest and smallest smile I think I ever did. It was almost nonexistent, but I knew that it was there.

My first step. My left foot struck the dirt of the cavern. I released my hands from the fists they had been. I positioned my hands in the right positions and looked dead into Kisuke's strong and deadly gaze.

My second step. I felt my foot step on a small rock, sending a jolt of pain through my leg. I ignored it, the fingers on my right hand curling into claws as I brought them to my right hip. I let out the breath I had held because of the fear I had felt. Fear that Kisuke would end up killing me, fear that he would accidentally end my existence with that blade he now held in his hand. Fear that the ghostly echoing scream for victory coming from that blade would strike home. That fear had made my breath hitch and stay in my throat. I couldn't breath because of it. Did that mean now that I had been able to let that breath free, I wasn't afraid of him?

My third step. My left foot again. Ripping my right hand away from my hip, the Bakudo I had cast on my second sword tore away, the glowing and shimmering cloths of Kido ripping as if I had cut them with a knife. The Kido vanished from sight, releasing the power I had hidden within that Bakudo. Kisuke's eyes widened just enough for me to notice. The spell Bakudo No. 26 concealed the Spiritual Pressure and visual image of whatever it was cast on, which meant that Kisuke must now know that my power was half of what he originally sensed. It still didn't make sense why he was surprised, however, since he had seen me only the day before yesterday. Maybe Yoruichi's training and my Zanpakuto knowing I am worthy has increased my power enough in the short time he had been absent?

My fourth step. The pain that had shot through my right foot was gone now. My right hand flew to the sword hilt looming over my small shoulder, and my left went to the one jutting from my right hip. The rasp of my duel Zanpakuto filled the still air, ringing in my ears. Kisuke vanished in an impressive Flash Step, leaving my only option to fight with sensing his presence to make sure I wasn't taken by surprise. As his presence moved swiftly behind me, I heard the whispered encouragement of my swords. The power the belonged to both of us flowed through my body to my limbs and my senses. The world slowed, my movements quickened. A smirk cracked on my solemn face. Yoruichi blinked, and eyebrow shooting up while the other remained, as she looked to me with confusion haloing her amused expression. She must have known how this fight was going to turn out.

My fifth step was not visible to the eye of anyone without the power of a Lieutenant or higher. A Flash Step faster then all my other attempts, as flawless as I could make it. It was still sloppy. But it earned me a shocked expression from Kisuke as my right sword blocked his, and as the left sailed for his achilles tendon.

He hopped back just enough to avoid the strike to his ankles, but my right sword was still falling down. I cut his arm as he flew back in the air. Flash Stepping, Kisuke appeared in the sky, inspecting the damage I had wrought with mild interest. Without missing a beat, my body reacted without my knowing. My instincts were in full control, with my observation to ensure they wouldn't get me killed in the process. I was only watching as my body fought the former-Captain.

Bringing both blades down on top of Kisuke, much like Ichigo's cleaving strike that he liked to start his spars with as he fought me. The strike slammed into the blade known as Benehime, and I felt the killer intent through his sword. Strong resolve, never faltering. He pushed me back, adding a kick to my small stomach as he sent me back down from the sky and into the ground. Before I landed, I righted myself and forced my power into my legs to deaden the landing. As The dirt gave way, and dust enveloped my form from view, I turned and pointed my finger at Kisuke while I gripped my sword.

"Hado No. 4: Byakurai," I said, the pale lighting racing towards my opponent.

Eyes widening just a bit, Kisuke dodged the Hado. A massive explosion erupted from the ceiling. Even I was shocked at the power that went into the Kido I had just fired. If only I had hit Kisuke with it, maybe then I would be able to claim victory.

Kisuke surged towards me now, blade ready. I crossed my swords in an "X" shape and blocked the strike. I jumped up before we could enter a dead lock, something I would surely lose because of my small size and weak body. Sparks flew as our blades clashed. Spinning in mid air, I blocked Kisuke's attempt to take advantage of my being airborne. Continuing the twist through the air, I brought my other sword to bare on his chest. As that strike missed, I solidified the air under my feet with my power and Flashed behind him as quickly as I could. Then, as I felt Kisuke react to my Spiritual Pressure, I thrust my right sword forward to stab him as fast as I could manage.

"You have trained well, Misami," Kisuke said in his usual nonchalant tone. Benehime had stopped my strike the flat of its blade, something so incredibly difficult that I blinked in surprise despite myself. My hand trembled just a touch from that same surprise. I slowly withdrew my blade, stepping back with my swords held at my sides. Kisuke turned and began to speak again, "You have improved a lot since the last time I saw you. Now that I know what you are capable of, we can truly begin your test."

"What is that test, Kisuke?" I asked calmly, my grip tightening on my blades in anticipation.

"You will knock my hat from my head," Kisuke said, tapping the brim of his hat with the tip of Benehime twice gently.

I cocked my head and my eyebrow, "That's _it_?"

Kisuke chuckled, "That's it! Are you ready, Misami?"

I resumed my fighting stance, shaking off my disbelief and assuming that if Kisuke thought it was a challenge, that I will too, "Of course."

* * *

We continued for the rest of that day. Constantly we battled, my instincts keeping me alive. During that time, I got very well acquainted with Kisuke's crimson attacks. Dense, powerful waves of energy that had sliced through the ground. The first time he had used that technique, I had barely escaped with my life. A tear in my new Shihakusho sleeve reminding me how grateful I was to have learned to do a Flash Step so effortlessly now. My technique, in which I used my duel swords to become a torrent of attacks that would overwhelm the defenses of most, was becoming more and more evident as the fight went on. We had not stopped once for any reason, the wounds we both suffered barely even noticed as we fought. I had come close to knocking off Kisuke's hat about fifteen times, but each attempt was foiled by a discharge of his crimson colored wave and my subsequent withdraw. There was, however, a section I had sliced of the brim of the hat in my closest and most recent attempt.

I was almost there, I could feel it was within reach.

_Master, _My Zanpakuto said, _How are you faring?_

_Well, I guess, _I mentally responded, blocking with my left blade as Kisuke attacked from behind.

_I suggest that you continue your efforts, Master, _my sword said, as I swung my right blade in a counter attack to Kisuke's head, where the hat still remained.

_Of course, I will, _I thought in response, as Kisuke Flashed away just before I could connect the strike and my blade sliced through just air.

_Good, because in one hour, Master, _my sword said with a happy tone, _you will have earned the power we agreed to be the threshold for you to earn my power._

I didn't respond to that, and I knew I didn't have to. Kisuke appeared behind me again, and I decided it was going to me me who put the distance between us. Flashing away in retreat, I vanished from sight and stopped fifty feet above the ground. Solidifying the air below my feet, I stood in the air as if I were flying. Kisuke, whom I knew was so skilled at finding his opponent, turned to face me. Launching in his own Flash Step, which was faster then mine but not as fast as Yoruichi, he surged towards me. I breathed in and did something that I knew caught Kisuke by surprise. I sheathed my left sword back into its scabbard at my hip. With my, now free, hand, I aimed my index finger at Kisuke. I took a small breath and uttered the words.

"Bakudo No. 61: Rikujōkōrō," Were the words.

Six rectangular rods of light appeared from all directions and slammed into Kisuke's midsection. Immobilized, Kisuke fell to the ground with a strong thud. I raced towards him, using my Flash Step in order to reach him in time. He, being a former Captain, broke my Kido just before I could strike. My sword slammed into the ground, embedding itself into the dirt. Thankfully, it wasn't lodged into the dirt and I ripped the blade out just in time to redirect the sword to block an oncoming attack from Kisuke. The power of his counter attack was stronger then I anticipated, and I flew backwards. I flew back so fast that I was an inch above the ground but i didn't touch it. Before I could slow down enough to drop to the ground, my body slammed into a rock face.

The impact of the rock was incredibly more painful then all the other times I had struck a surface as hard as I just did. Waves of pain shot through my body, since I didn't have he sense to direct my power to where the rock had hit me. My scarf covered my mouth, the white fabric forcing me to breath through me nose since I currently didn't have the strength to move my limbs to adjust it. My head hurt, and so did my right shoulder. There was blood staining my white hair, and another wound was letting a stream of crimson to run into my eyes. I blinked away my own blood and gathered the strength to rise. The rest of my body groaned in protest as I hefted myself into a sitting position. It hurt to breath, it hurt to think. It hurt as I rose to my feet. My vision was blurry and unfocused, as I felt a wave of dizziness washed over me as I stood.

My face regaining its composure, not letting a single iota of emotions past it, not letting Kisuke know that I was in such physical pain for fear that he would tell me we would have to stop. I was not going to fall short because of a concussion and a dislocated shoulder. The pain was ebbing away anyway, my attention was focused more and more on the incoming presence of a certain Captain level Soul Reaper. I felt his presence racing towards me, his sword still practically screaming with killer intent to match the look in his eyes. As he drew even nearer I could just hear the command I was now so used to.

"Scream, Benehime," He said, a crescent of crimson power racing towards me.

I gripped the hilt of my sword hard, gritting my teeth as I dodged the attack in a blinding Flash Step. In two steps, one a sidestep to the right and the other a push forward, I raced towards Kisuke with my sword posed to strike. I swung my blade in a horizontal arc aimed at his stomach. Kisuke, noticing that my other sword was still sheathed at my waist, swung his sword much faster then I was. With my left side now open and under attack, I let my left hand leave its place at the hilt of my sword and start to move into position. In a fist, with the back of my hand facing the strike, I already could feel the Kido start to form.

"Bakudo No. 8: Seki." I said.

The blue orb finished forming just before Kisuke's blade struck my small hand. His blade, much to Kisuke's surprise, bounced off the blue orb and sent him tumbling through the air for a good ten yards. I was right behind him as we continued our match. We did that for the next forty minutes, with Kisuke slowly gaining the upper hand since my injuries were making it hard to maintain a strong attack. I took up defense around the thirty minute mark, still using only one of my two swords in the hopes that I would lull Kisuke into forgetting that I had that other blade to begin with. Surprising to even me, I was as skilled with one sword as I was with two, holding my own against the former Captain despite my wounds. I had accumulated a good amount of small cuts and tears to my Shihakusho through the battle. The blood stained the while under garments beneath the black garb. My white hair still was stained crimson, my eyes still hindered by the blood that was flowing into them and forcing my to blink it away. Kisuke would take advantage of every single time my injures interfered with my fighting abilities and senses. By the time the hour had passed, I must have lost enough blood to die three times over if I were human. I was breathing raggedly, my body starving for oxygen.

"You are impressive, Misami," Kisuke said, showing no sign that he had even left his own home, let alone been fighting me for almost two days straight, "Ichigo must have definitely rubbed off on you. I don't sense fear in your blade, which makes it stronger then if it had such a thing. But I also don't feel what you will need to beat me. I don't feel any resolve for victory. In fact, I don't feel any emotion at all behind any of your attacks. You seem to have no desire to kill me, or to be killed yourself. It is interesting how this battle has been progressing, I must say. But Misami, if you don't have the resolve to cut or kill me, it will not happen. If you don't find that resolve, you may die in this next attack."

My eyes widened as I heard those last words and felt his Spiritual Pressure increase immensely. But I knew that maybe only a Kuchiki could have seen that small of a fracture in my mask of detachment. Crimson Spiritual Pressure was gathering quickly on the edge of Benehime, its weight becoming more and more noticeable to my senses. It flared here and there as it gained strength, making it look as if the sword was bathed in red fire. I took a deep breath in, and let it out slowly to calm myself. I saw Kisuke raise his sword, and then slash it at me from his vantage point high in the air. A massive wave of power raced towards me, too big to dodge and far too strong to block or get away from the blast radius. I closed my eyes and awaited my fate at the hand of the attack.

Then something in me snapped. Not anger, from what I could tell. Not from anything close to sadness or despair, either. But it felt as if there was a dam that had been overflowing in my sould and it had finally broke. My mind was suddenly flooded with knowledge and power that I never knew I had to begin with. Knowledge that shattered the "Kuchiki Mask" as a smirk crept across my features.

_Now, Master, call out my name!_

My free hand quickly grabbed my other sword and drew it out as fast as I could. Then I spun my left sword around so that I held it in a reverse grip in front of me. Black, flame-like Spiritual Pressure ignited from the blade as if I had dipped it in human gasoline and lit it myself. I then took the now flaming sword and impaled the ground before my feet. The ground immediately turned black as if cast in the darkest shadows, the black flames licking the air with their wicked looking flares. Without hesitating to look at what was happening, I took my other blade and slammed its pommel on top of the sword that had been stabbed into the ground. The black flames of the sword in the ground went up the hilt and onto the sword I had just brought down on top of it. But when the flames touched the other sword, they turned as pure a white as I had ever seen. Soon the two swords, one of the darkest shadow and the other of the most blinding white light, were enveloped in their respective fires of Spiritual Pressure. The flames exploded as I called the command and the name of my Zanpakuto.

"Splinter, Hikari no Tenshi!" I yelled. (Translation: "Angel of Light")

I felt my body tear away from the place it was. The crimson wave of Kisuke's attack slammed into the ground where I used to be. I had moved faster then even Yoruichi, but I hadn't used Flash Step. I had just moved at the speed of light. My swords, the right one's blade glowing with the same pure white light its flames were like and that left was so black it seemed to ooze shadow. The hilts of both weapons, which used to be traditionally wrapped with white and black diamonds showing through the wrappings, had changed as well. Now the light blade had a snow white hilt, the wrappings diamonds and guard all as white as the blade was, but they were not glowing like that blade was. The shadow blade was the opposite of the light blade, with a black hilt, wrappings, and guard that where just as black as the blade but didn't bleed shadows like the blade was. Both blades were stunning and deadly, the size and length of both hadn't changed at all.

I looked around, and saw that I was on the other side of the dome, with Kisuke's presence racing towards me in his fast Flash Step. Thinking of appearing behind Kisuke, I felt my body tear through space again. This time, with my eyes open I saw what what one of the powers of my Zanpakuto was. I moved at the speed of light because I basically became light during the time I moved at that speed. In an instant, I was behind Kisuke, my shadow blade touching the brim of his hat. Much to my delight, Kisuke had not even realized what happened. As the hat flew away from his head, I used my new-found ability and reappeared exactly where Kisuke thought I was. I looked up and waited for him to come within my visual range.

As he appeared in my field of vision, he raised his sword and begun to charge up another attack. But then he stopped suddenly, in the middle of the attack. The attack dissipated and he looked at the tip of my glowing light sword. There, resting on the shimmering tip of my right sword, was Kisuke's bucket hat. He smiled, a proud look in his eyes and he slowly descended from the air and landed softly on the ground. I felt Yoruichi's spiritual pressure racing towards us from where we were fighting moments ago. I had totally forgotten about her, which I now felt guilty about, when I had been fighting Kisuke. I kindly handed the former Captain his hat, jumping up and dropping it onto his head from the tip of my sword expertly. Satisfied that I had passed, and elated as I looked at my Zanpakuto.

_I did it, _was all I could think, _I actually did it. _

_That's right, Master, _Hikari no Tenshi said softly, _I am proud to be called your Zanpakuto._

I couldn't help but smile despite myself. It was a small smile on the outside, but my sword knew it was the biggest grin I had ever had since my first day at the Academy, _Thank you, Hikari no Tenshi, thank you._

_You are very welcome, Master Misami, _she said in response. Just then, Yoruichi appeared in sight, right next to Kisuke. They were both beaming at me.

"That was is an amazing Zanpakuto, Misami," Yoruichi said, "I am proud to call you a student of mine!"

"Excellent job, Misami, " Kisuke said, "That was a good fight."

I smiled, "Thank so much, both of you for your help, I am forever in your debts."

With the grace Rukia had taught me in the night before I left for this training, I bowed respectfully to the two former Captains that had allowed me to obtain my new strength. They smiled, and nodded their heads.

"I suppose you are cleared to leave, Misami," Kisuke said, "Tell Ichigo and Rukia I said, 'Hello', okay?"

"Of course, Kisuke," I said, smiling, turning to Yoruichi, "Would it be okay if I took a bath in the hot spring before I left?"

She looked me over, at all the blood and the tears in my Shihakusho, and smiled faintly, "Of course you can. I think I might goo grab you the spare Shihakushos I brought along. Wouldn't want you to go to the Kuchiki Manor in _that_. It would scare the crap out of Rukia and make you look bad in front of Little Byakuya, too."

I blinked, "Rukia's older brother isn't tall?"

"Oh," Yoruichi chuckled, "That's just a nickname I have for him. He gets irritated when I call him it, so I like to throw it on him every now and then."

"Oh, okay," I gave a small smile, starting towards the hot spring.

Yoruichi turned around as she started to follow me as she started to talk to Kisuke, "When will you be back?"

Kisuke shrugged, "Depends on whether my target cooperates or not. I have to prepare some things before I leave anyway."

Yoruichi smirked, "Well, hurry back any way, you know I don't like to be bored for too long, Kisuke."

"Oh, I know," Kisuke smirked back. With that, the former Captain disappeared in a Flash Step.

* * *

The hot water felt amazing on my bruised and battered skin. My wounds sealed and vanished from sight. the pain and soreness seemed to ooze out of my pores as my body lay in the healing liquid. My new Shihakusho was neatly folded on the same rock as before, with my scarf and footwear sitting on top of it all. I breathed slowly in, and then slowly out. I was completely relaxed, my only complaint being that Rukia or Ichigo wasn't here to see me achieve my Shikai. I sighed, since I knew I would get to tell them soon.

"Hey, Misami," I heard Yoruichi say behind me. My instant reaction was that I noticed my obvious lack of clothing, and crossed my arms over my exposed chest. A blush painted my face and I sunk down into the stream to face Yoruichi as she continued to speak, "I'm going to head out. Just make sure that when you leave, you shut the hatch to the entrance, okay?"

"Alright, Yoruichi," I said softly, "And thanks again for helping me."

She smiled at me, but I couldn't tell if it was from my shyness or my graditude, "No problem. I'll see you around!"

"Okay!" I gently called back.

Sure enough, I felt Yoruichi's Spiritual Pressure race up the shaft and out the cave in her amazing Flash Step. Checking to make sure that there was no one near me, my arms unraveled from my chest and I relaxed back into the comforting waters of the hot spring. There was something nice about the knowledge that I could stay in this water, as relaxed as I was, for as long as it suited me. And I knew I would have stayed for a long while if I hadn't remembered where I was going to after I was done here. Rukia had offered to let me stay at the Kuchiki Manor, the home of both Rukia and the head of the Clan, and Rukia's brother, Byakuya Kuchiki. The honor of meeting another clan head within three or four days of another was shocking if I were allowed to dwell on it. I sighed, not wanting to leave these waters, as I rose from the hot spring and Flashed to the Shihakusho Yoruichi had left me. My two Zanpakuto were right where I left them, at the foot of the same rock.

Throwing on the under white under garments, then the actual black part of the Shihakusho, I moved to the shoes, putting on the socks before the sandals were on my feet. Finally, I grabbed my white scarf and wrapped it around my neck. Positioning the scarf so that it covered my face from the nose down, and therefore covering the scar on my cheek. Tossing the ends of the scarf so that they hung over my shoulder and behind my back, I bent down and grabbed the sword that had been an embodiment of shadow when I was using my Shikai. I decided to name the sword I wielded in my left hand to be my Shadow blade, and the one in my right to be my Light blade. Soon, I had wrapped the white bandage like clothes securely around my waist and the hilt of the Shadow blade now jutted out from my right hip and parallel to my back like it always did. Next I picked up my Light blade and slipped its black cloth like strap over my head. The strap came diagonally across my chest, the hilt of my Light sword looming over my right shoulder.

Then I moved my right hand so that it hovered over the blade at my waist and muttered, "Bakudo No. 26: Kyokko."

Rainbow colored, cloth-like Kido branched out from my hand and covered the sword below my hand. Once the blade was covered, the Bakudo turned white then vanished along with the sword. Now that I was ready to go, I pushed off in a Flash Step towards the tunnel entrance. Once I arrived after two or three steps, I stood below the shaft that lead to the seemingly abandoned cave storehouse. Gathering power into my legs, I jumped with just the right amount of speed. The ladder moved past me so fast I could barely tell that there were rungs to begin with as I soared upward. As I neared the top of the shaft, I began to slow down until I reached the top of the ladder. At just the right time, I reached the height of my jump and found myself hovering just above the entrance to the cavern I just came from. I kicked back hard with my right foot onto the lid that capped the entrance. The kick forced my body forward, and I took advantage of the momentum, front flipping to land just in front of the entrance. The lid to the shaft hyper-extended and its recoil was enough to force it to close on its own. I smirked, then started towards the opening that lead to the outside world.

_That was impressive, Master Misami, _Hikari no Tenshi said.

_Hey, would it be alright if you just called me Misami, and I call you Hikari? _I asked, slipping through the boards of the cave and into the afternoon light.

She giggled, _I don't mind your calling me 'Hikari', but why would you not want me to call you 'Master'? That is what you are to me after all._

_I suppose that I consider you an equal, _I said back, ripping through space in my new and improved Flash Step, creating platforms in the air so I wouldn't have to dodge through the trees and buildings below, _And I don't think that equals call another equal 'Master'. _

My sword sounded speechless, and grateful, even teary-eyed, _Thank you, Ma- I mean, Misami. I am honored. _

I smiled, finally reaching the parts of the Seireitei that Rukia had told me where the Kuchiki Manor was, _Don't mention it, Hikari. _

"Misami!" I heard the voice of a certain Kuchiki call from below, "Over here!"

I looked down and saw Rukia at the entrance to a large Mansion, two guards flanking her with stern expressions. Rukia, though it was still slightly more relaxed, was also holding an expression that betrayed little of her emotions. I felt my features follow her lead and began to hide away the elation and happiness I was feeling as I laid eyes on the Soul Reaper I admired most. I landed before Rukia, appearing from my Flash Step in a respectful and graceful bow, "Thank you, Miss Kuchiki, for your hospitality. I am deeply honored to be staying in your household."

Rukia gave me a small, reassuring nod, "And I am glad you graced us with your presence, Miss Tsukino."

I rose from my bow, to find that the two guard were doing two things that made me naturally uneasy. One, they were staring with astonished looks, probably because of how fast a Flash Step I had in light of my size. The second was that the were analyzing me, looking me over with trained eyes at my face, my eyes, the Shihakusho I was wearing. I didn't look at them in the eye, and kept the emotionless mask from cracking so that they wouldn't know how nervous I was becoming. Rukia nodded for me to follow, then turned towards the large doors of the Kuchiki Manor.

I followed her closely, fighting the urges to either rush to her and give her a big hug to let her know how much I missed her or to cling to her arm so that she could make the nervousness I was feeling go away. Instead, I maintained my detached look and walked next to Rukia on her right. We walked through the many halls and passageways, with servants around every corner. I smelled the cooks making something exceedingly pleasant smelling, making my mouth water and my stomach growl as I realized that I hadn't eaten in a long while. Rukia heard this, turning her head so I could see the small smile on her face, an unspoken promise of food in the near future in her eyes. Smiling back, I nodded to let her know that I understood, adding an eager look to convey that I could barely wait for the dinner. Nodding, Rukia stopped before a door to a room. Behind the door, I could sense a Captain level Soul Reaper. Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia's Brother.

We were on a platform that over looked a small garden, which had a nice relaxing effect on my senses. Rukia, tapping my shoulder to get my attention, knelled before the door, sitting on top of her legs in the traditional way when greeting a person of respect, and gave me a look that told me to follow suit. Falling in to her right, and mimicking her position, I gave her a look to let me know I was ready. Smiling briefly before her features went back to the detached look that Kuchiki's were known for, Rukia bowed her head and knocked softly.

"Brother," Rukia said in a respectful tone, "Your guest, Miss Tsukino, has arrived."

"Enter," Came the cold, and stern reply.

Rukia reached over and opened the sliding door to reveal a tall man, clad in a Shihakusho with a Captains Haori over it, a silvery white scarf around his neck. He had the special hair ordinates that separated three thick strands of hair that hung before his eyes and held two similar strands away at the right side of his head. the backs of his hands and a good portion of his forearm were covered with the white tekko that Kuchiki's wore. He had a stern look in his eyes, which were set in a face that was the essence of indifference. Even with my usually sharp eyesight, which coulds see the tinniest hints of emotions or movement, couldn't tell me if this man was angry or happy to see me. But when I looked into his gaze, I bowed my head down in shame with my hands gripping the trousers of my Shihakusho were as the rested in my lap.

I was surprised at the even and respectful tone, which sounded like an echo of both Rukia's and this man's own emotionless tones, despite the fact that on the inside I was as nervous as ever, "Good evening, Lord Byakuya, I am honored to have been invited to stay in your wonderful home. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hospitality."

I stared at my hands as they gripped my trousers even harder. The silence was killing me just as much as the anxiousness running though me. My breath was getting close to becoming a pant, my body starting to sweat from the nervousness.

Then he spoke with a puzzled tone, which was barely hidden behind the 'Kuchiki Mask', "Am I correct in saying that you are from the 78th South Rukkon District, Miss Tsukino?"

"Yes, Lord Byakuya," I said, surprising myself yet again with the tone I had used. A tone that didn't betray the feelings I was dealing with at the moment.

"In that case," The Captain said, "I would like to say I am rather impressed with your composure and use of manners, Miss Tsukino. I confess I was slightly worried that you would act like Rukia's...friend, Ichigo Kurosaki."

I dared to take a glance up, and saw Byakuya looking at me. Our eyes met and I felt the same wave of shame as I saw the look in his eyes. My gaze shooting back down to my hands, I spoke again, "May I ask what you mean by that statement, Lord Byakuya?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, a former substitute Soul Reaper, has only called me by my given name. He refuses to use any title that I hold, and seems to have no respect for any authority," Byakuya sounded slightly angered at the thought, which made me tremble slightly as I thought it was aimed at me.

"I'm deeply sorry, Lord Byakuya," I said, letting an apologetic tone slip into the respectful and detached tone that continued to surprise me, "I did not mean to remind you of any memories that bring negative connotations."

"That's quite alright, Miss Tsukino," I heard him say, all sounds of alight annoyance and anger gone from his voice, "I apologize if I frightened you at all with what I said."

I looked up, my expression not changing but my eyes displaying how shocked I was to hear him apologize to me of all people. I saw past the look he had on his face, the one that made me feel every bit as inferior as I was to him as far as political stature was concerned. I saw that he was actually looking at me with interest, and saw that his apology was in fact sincere. I could barely find the words to speak, "May I ask a question, Lord Byakuya?"

"Yes," he said, seeming to notice that I had found the courage not to look at my hands like before, "What is it?"

"Why did you ask if I wanted to stay here?" I said, then clarified, "I ask this because I would think it would have been Rukia-ah, I mean, Miss Kuchiki-who would have asked if I could have stayed here for the break."

"Ah," He said, "I asked if Rukia would like for you to stay here because of all the good things I have heard of you."

"Good things, sir?" I prodded, hoping that he wouldn't mind elaborating.

He seemed not to mind, "Rukia has told me of the many accomplishments you have achieved while attending the Academy. She has also told me of how well the two of you get along, and how much you both have in common. When I looked into your school records, I found that you have been allocated to the Sixth Year class despite the fact that you were still a child. Considering all of this, and speculating that you do not have a home of your own in light of where you came from, I decided I would like to both meet you and repay you for giving my sister a much needed companion by having you stay here."

I bowed my head now for a different reason. A blush flared on my small cheeks as I felt deeply honored by what he had said, Breathless, I spoke, "Thank you so very much, Lord Byakuya."

"Well," Byakuya said, "You may go, Miss Tsukino, Rukia will join you shortly after we discuss certain matters."

"Yes," I said, standing up slowly before bowing in respect and farewell, "Of course, Lord Byakuya."

I vanished using my Flash Step, landing far enough away so that I was out of earshot. I didn't wish to get on the Kuchiki Clan Head's bad side because of something I wasn't supposed to hear, especially if our first interaction went as well as it had. I watched closely for signs that the conversation between them was getting close to its end from a shadowy part of the Manor, from which no one could really see me, and suppressed my Spiritual Pressure so no one would sense my presence. The conversation went on between the brother and sister for another five minutes in relative quiet, in the sense that they both were showing absolutely no emotions and talking calmly. But when I saw Rukia's shoulders heave upwards slightly from a sudden intake of breath, a gasp, and saw her hands fly up to her mouth, I was intrigued. For Rukia to lose her composure in front of her brother as something I had not expected from her at all. Byakuya was not reprimanding her, and he seemed to be rather...happy? No, slightly pleased seemed to fit his expression better.

The topic that that had shocked Rukia continued on for about ten minutes, with Byakuya seeming to list of things and Rukia paying very close attention. As they were finishing up, I decided to Flash to the platform below me, which was a part of the same walkway the Byakuya and Rukia would use when they were to go and fetch me. Letting my small feet dangle over the edge, my legs too short to reach the lush grass of the garden below, I calmly waited as I felt Rukia's Spiritual Pressure draw near. Waiting for her to arrive, I looked up into the crystal clear sky. I closed my eyes slowly as I wished to enjoy the peaceful sound of the breeze wafting through the grounds and in my pure white hair. The sunlight, however fleeting it was, was warm on my face as the last of it slipped under a roof top in the distance. Soon, it would be night time, and I would be able to get some much needed rest from the harsh training I went through over the past three days. Three whole weeks with my most prized friend, the Soul Reaper I admired the most in all of the Soul Society. The thought made me smile as warmly and as beautifully as the sunlight.

When Rukia's presence drew close enough, my eyes opened again and I turned to her. Without any attempt to hide it, I smiled at my friend, pulling down my scarf so she could see it. No one was around but her, so I could feel like I could let my guard down and show the her my emotions. She was smiling warmly back. even though both of us were wearing the smallest smiles, just the corners of our mouths curving delicately upwards, we both knew it was the biggest smile that the public air had ever seen from either of us. I stood up as gracefully as I could and fell into step at her right as Rukia continued on to her room.

We walked in relative silence, both of us letting the emotionless masks creep back across our features, while I also pulled the scarf back up to hide my lower face, as servants and other Kuchiki's passed us by and caught sight of us. I feared that they actually were starting to mistake me for a noble or an actual Soul Reaper, both from my serious demeanor and my Shihakusho. The scarf I was wearing was covering up my mouth, thankfully, making it easier to hide any left over nervousness about my staying in such a pristine household. Though, I was glad to know for a fact that I wasn't so nervous that my heart would burst since the encounter with the Kuchiki Clan Head.

"My brother was extremely impressed with your manners despite where you came from, Misami," Rukia said, speaking in a friendlier, though still regal and business-like, tone, "You retained the knowledge I gave you very well."

"Why, thank you, Rukia," I said, matching her tone perfectly, startling myself slightly at the sound of my voice. I sounded like a noble. "It was because of your guidance that I was able to learn so much so quickly."

"Just as with all your other studies," Rukia said, rolling her eyes in a non-condescending way, "You surpass all expectations.

Then she stopped before a room and then looked at me. I gave her a questioning look, "What is it, Rukia?"

"This will be where you will sleep," Rukia said, "I have taken the liberty to purchase a small variety of clothes for you to where, seeing as you have no such things under your name."

"Oh, thank you, Rukia!" I smiled, fighting to regain my composure.

"Don't mention it, Misami," Rukia smiled back, "Would you mind dropping off your Zanpakuto and meeting me in my quarters?"

"Not at all," I said, nodding, "I will only take a minute."

Swiftly, I did as she requested, undoing the Kido around my second sword before I unstrapped it from my waist. Next was the sword on my back, which I took off quickly and placed both swords on the lush covers of my new room. Before i could be mesmerized by the elegant room, and the soft covers of the bed, I walked out of the room. In the hall, I sensed Rukia's Spiritual Pressure and followed it to the room that was to the left of mine. KNocking gingerky on the door to announce my entry, I slipped in the room of Rukia Kuchiki.


	8. Evaluation of the Nobles

**Author's Note: Hey, guys! Sorry for the late update! These last two weeks have been pretty busy and my other story prevented me to get any work done until this weekend. I hope that this chapter was worth the long wait, though! Enjoy! Its another nine thousand word chapter, by the way!**

**Thank you, Scarease, for reviewing! I would like to let you know that there are restrictions on Misami's Shikai to help balance it, and they will be revealed later on in the story! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story so far, and I hope that you continue to do so! I look forward to your next review!  
**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! I'm happy to see that you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope this long chapter will make up for the wait! I look forward to your next review!**

**Thank you, Chilly292, for reviewing! With regards to your review of the chapter before last: I'm glad that you liked it so much! I found that error and and grateful that you pointed it out to me(It should be corrected now). And with regards to the previous chapter: I'm happy to see that you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. That part was entertaining to write, so I'm glad you found it amusing! I hope this lengthy chapter will make up for the large gap between updates! I look forward to your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, just my OC, the plot, and the idea.**

Takeshi sighed, awaiting the return of the Soul Reaper's with as much impatience as ever. He rhythmically tapped on a nearby tree with his claws in a vain attempt to vent that impatience without destroying the battle ground he had chosen for his next battle. It had been at least a week and a half since he had seen any Soul Reapers, but he was awaiting their return to him. A Garganta had opened not too long ago to Takeshi's right, revealing multiple Lieutenants and a Captain as they walked into the void of Hueco Muendo. Takeshi had chosen a wide open area, which was encircled by the trees, that was like an arena. At the center of the wide open area was a hill that provided high ground, which Takeshi hoped the Soul Reapers would use to their advantage. He was counting on them bringing everything they had to this fight, and for them to take full advantage of the opportunities that he had given them. Takeshi had on his restraints, and had promised himself that he would not release them unless either the enemies cut them away by mistake, or a real challenge presented itself and he was in need of the power the restraints took from him.

He knew that at least the Lieutenant that he had fought earlier would be with them, he had sensed as much when he surveyed their entry into the Menos Forest, which meant that he would have to be on guard for ranged attacks. There were three other signatures with power levels of the same caliber as the one Takeshi had fought the last time, which meant three more types of attack patterns that he would have to analyse while avoiding them and the pinwheel weapons of the first one. If there was another ranged attack type, or one that at least had the option of being ranged, Takeshi knew this was going to be an interesting fight with just that. There were odds that there would be a melee type fighter among the new arrivals, but not as much as Takeshi wished there was. Melee type Zanpakuto wielders with the level of power that came with being a Lieutenant knew how to use those weapons to maximum effect, they had to. This meant that Takeshi would get an up close and personal confrontation with a higher level opponent while at least one other enemy with the same or higher power level struck at him from a distance. It was getting harder and harder to wait when Takeshi dwelled on what was to come. Something that he had been waiting for since a millennium ago, when he battled against another Vasto Lorde. A fight that was fun. A fight that could kill him. A battle that would leave an after taste that lasted long into the future.

The signatures were close now. The curtains to the show Takeshi had been waiting for were drawing back. He was sure he was grinning under his spartan shaped crest.

"You there!" A deep voice called from the edge of the arena.

Takeshi looked up, red eyes gleaming behind his Hollow mask, "Yes?"

The Captain's Haori was draped on a strange, massive dog-man hybrid that was probably an inch shorter then Takeshi himself. His sword was already in hand, his grip rather tight. He had a snout, fur covering his body, and strange armor on his shoulders and wrists. His eyes were a strange shade of yellow, the pupils pinpricks as he glared at Takeshi with a burning hatred that Soul Reapers generally had for Hollows as a whole, no pun intended. He was definitely a Captain, the sleeveless Haori and his power level were pretty big hints, and the way he carried himself was confirming that very quickly. He was obviously thinking of what he wanted to do after he beat Takeshi, and not of how he was going to beat him to begin with. His arrogance could easily be justified, after all. Takeshi was, in fact, wearing restraints that forced his power to be one fifth of what it actually was. His actual power was that of about seven Lieutenants combined, around two or two and a half Captains. If the energy dampeners he wore were broken and cut away, Takeshi would probably be able to take on these enemies without so much as a strategy.

To the left of the wolf-man Captain was a guy with a strange, short hair cut and old-school sunglasses he obviously didn't needed in the dark world of Hueco Muendo. He was of average height with a hand gripping the hilt of his sheathed sword. He was obviously the Captain's Lieutenant, judging by the way he acted around the dog man compared with the other three Lieutenants. He, frankly, didn't look that impressive to Takeshi. Though, his stance hinted at a strong fighter. Giving the man the benefit of the doubt, Takeshi moved on to the next Lieutenant.

To his left was a woman, with flowing strawberry blonde hair. Her bust was abnormally large, and rather displayed with the way her Shihakusho was wrapping around her body. Not that any males in a one hundred mile radius would ever complain about that fact. Her sword was sheathed and behind her back, the hilt sticking out from her hip. She had pink ribbon like straps of cloth that hung from her neck and fell down evenly over each of her shoulders. There was a necklace that wrapped around her neck and slipped in between her breasts as well. She was looking at Takeshi with her green eyes glaring, looking him up and down as she seemed to size him up. She seemed to be heavily focused on the situation at hand, but was obviously wishing she were somewhere else at the same time.

To the dog Captain's right was the Lieutenant that Takeshi had defeated the last time he had seen him. Takeshi was glad that the man had listened to his request, but was still upset that it had taken him so long to carry it out. There was a healthy respect in his eyes now as the Lieutenant looked into Takeshi's own. Takeshi found himself respecting this Lieutenant as well, if only slightly, because of the fact that he returned when he knew how strong he had been. He had also drawn his sword as soon as he had laid his eyes on Takeshi, probably out of a reflex he didn't know he had. He had laser-like focus of Takeshi, as if he expected for him to strike at any moment. His wounds seem to have healed, he looked as if he hadn't been wounded in months. That was good, great in fact, since it would be no fun if there were stupid things like sore wounds that inhibited Takeshi's opponents.

Finally, the remaining Lieutenant was standing at the spiky haired Soul Reaper's right. He was also of average height, with a hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He had extremely pale blond hair, the long bangs of which formed a sort of triangular shape that covered his left eye. The Soul Reaper had no noticeable difference to his Shihakusho, except the Lieutenant's badge he wore on his left shoulder. He had blue eyes, from what Takeshi could tell. He was feeling the same about this one as he felt about the Lieutenant with the weird glasses. He looked rather unimpressive overall to Takeshi, but he seemed to be skilled nonetheless.

"Are you the one that attacked the expeditionary unit lead by Lieutenant Hisagi a week and a half ago?" The voice of the Captain interrupted Takeshi from his analyzing his opponents.

Takeshi shrugged, "Sounds like me, is there a problem with that?"

All five of them blinked, the one wearing the sunglasses was the first to snap out of the mini daze of surprise, "Of course there is, you stupid Hollow! You killed forty people without even thinking about it!"

"I still don't see why that's a problem," Takeshi said in almost a bored tone, hoping to aggravate them into starting the fight sooner and giving them the advantage of the first strike.

"All Hollows are the same," The spiky haired one said, one of the other Soul Reaper's had whispered his name just now: Shuhei, "All you want is to kill and destroy. You have no redeeming qualities at all."

"You mistake me for someone that cares," Takeshi did not have to try to sound bored, the conversation was starting to get slightly taxing, "All I care for is to have a fight that actually is a challenge for once."

The dog Captain seemed both shocked, and appalled at this response, "A Hollow Kenpachi...could this day be any worse."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow, "Kenpachi? I don't know who you are talking about, of course, but it sounds as if I should want to meet him someday. So are you going to fight me or what?"

"He really is like Captain Zaraki," The strawberry blond woman said, almost ruefully, as she drew her sword, "May we attack, Captain Komamura?"

"Strike him down quickly," The dog man said, to which Takeshi chuckled, "If he is like the 11th Squad Captain, then he might be hiding his true power behind restraints."

"Yes, Captain," The Lieutenants called, surging forwards.

"Growl, Hianeko!" The strawberry blond's sword became a cloud of dust.

"Raise your head, Wabisake!" The blond haired man's sword formed into a rectangular scythe like sword.

"Reap, Kazeshini," The pinwheel scythes that belonged to Shuhei formed once again.

The one with glasses had said his command during one of the other Lieutenants and too quietly for Takeshi to hear. It formed into a strange looking scimitar with a protrusion towards the end of the blade.

Dust swirled around Takeshi, focusing into blades that ground against his skin like sand paper. The pinwheel reapers of Shuhei cut through is and sliced a huge gash into his arm while he was distracted by the dust. Blood flowed, and Takeshi grunted in pain. The one wearing glasses, one they called "Iba", came through the cloud of dust with his weapon raised high. Takeshi, wishing he had the ability to grin to at least somewhat express how entertaining all this was becoming, didn't move to block the strike and pretended to be occupied with the two ranged attackers. The protruding spike of Iba's sword sunk completely into Takeshi's shoulder, blood gushing as it severed a vain. Takeshi looked around, letting a growl out to make them think that the wound actually hurt him in some way, in search of the final Lieutenant. His search was rewarded as he caught the blond Lieutenant in his sight just as he cut into his right forearm, barely missing the wrist band that held back a good fifth of his power.

Blood leaked from his forearm, which somehow felt heavier now, and Takeshi began his counter attack. He grabbed the sword still buried in his shoulder in his taloned hand, and lifted it out. Twisting away, Takeshi used the sword to block an incoming scythe from Shuhei. The dust from the woman's sword, still making cuts all over his skin, Takeshi threw Iba straight into Shuhei. Then, going with the torque of throwing Iba, Takeshi pivoted on his right foot and sent his right fist straight into an unsuspecting blond haired Lieutenant just before he could cut in the same place he struck at first. The surprised look on the blond's face, as well as the crunch of his ribs breaking, was very rewarding.

As he was flying backward from the punch, the blond some how reopened the first cut he made with his sword, while Takeshi crouched low in order to prepare for the next attack. More attacks from the woman and Shuhei raced towards Takeshi, while the two close combat weapon wielders recovered from their falls. With a blazing fast Sonido, Takeshi dodged the strikes and appeared behind Shuhei with his fist already on a collision course with his chest. Shuhei, of course, flew away as Takeshi's strike slammed into his back. The woman gasped in surprise, waving her hand towards him out of reflex. Swirling clouds of dust raced towards where she pointed her hand, which just so happened to be aimed right at Takeshi. Multiple cuts, some with grit still lodged in them as they closed with high speed regeneration, formed once again on his skin. He groaned quietly in pain as the small cuts became increasingly annoying. He vanished in a burst of Sonido to escape the scythes Shuhei was throwing at him, as well as the dust of the woman Soul Reaper.

Takeshi noticed, with a disappointed look, that the Captain was merely standing aside and letting the Lieutenants do his work. He stood on the high ground in the middle of the arena, with his sword drawn as if he were waiting for the perfect time to activate it and strike. Takeshi, seeing that planning and preparation while using subordinates as cowardly, altered his course so that he headed right for the awaiting Captain. He was fast enough, even with his restraints, to out run the ranged attacks of the two Lieutenants and the blades of the other two. Takeshi noted that his right forearm, the one that had been cut by the blond Lieutenant, strangely felt heavier then his left. About four times as heavy if he had to guess the difference. He could care less really, since he was strong enough that the difference was negligible. But it was interesting nonetheless.

The Captain seemed to instantly realize what Takeshi was going for, and readied himself. The werewolf Captain gripped his sword and roared, "Bankai! Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!"

The fist Takeshi had sent towards the wolf Captain's massive stomach as he reached the Captain was suddenly stopped by a massive sword the size of some of the trees in the Menos Forest. Holding that sword was a massive armored hand attached to a colossal samurai-like warrior. Three hundred feet tall, its sword proportional to its body, the Bankai was extremely impressive for sure. To stop one of Takeshi strikes, even ones that were retrained by his ankle and wrist power dampeners, took immense strength. Had Takeshi been training at all in the past millennium, the result might of been different. He was rather rusty from not using most of his power for the past one thousand years, so he was not as effective at fighting strong opponents like this Bankai. And he absolutely loved that fact, because it was another thing that made this fight all the more enjoyable. Now he could afford to lose a dampener or two, maybe all of them, in this fight.

The werewolf Captain as glowing with red spiritual power, standing behind the blade that had shielded him from Takeshi's strike with his sword in the exact same position as the massive samurai's. Takeshi, sensing the oncoming attacks of the other four Soul Reapers surging towards him, vanished in a burst of Sonido. He appeared on the giants shoulder and looked down. The attacks of the woman and Shuhei slammed into the exact spot where Takeshi had punched. Strangely, both the giant and the werewolf Captain moved the same distance back because of the impact. Takeshi watched as the Captain grunted from the impact of the two attacks of the remaining Lieutenants immediately after the former two. He wandered if the connection between the Captain and his Bankai meant that it would move as fast as the command was given. Or what would happen if the massive samurai were to be injured.

A massive hand, the samurai's by the look of the armor as well as the way it was bent, slammed down on top of Takeshi's position. Takeshi, appearing on the other shoulder out of a Sonido, confirmed his earlier guess as he saw how fast the massive fist raised from the shoulder and started towards him once again. Dust and pinwheel scythes also raced towards him, as well as the two signatures of the two other Lieutenants with their blades. Takeshi, thinking on the fly began to use his Sonido's speed to both dodge the strikes of the five Soul Reapers, and to redirect those strikes onto the massive samurai. He didn't stop to see if the damage was doing anything to the samurai or the Captain, but made sure that he was draining the energy out of the Lieutenants so that they would relent long enough for Takeshi to either slip past the defenses of the giant so he could reach the Captain, or take out those Lieutenants that were assaulting him with those weak attacks. But about ten minutes went by until something happened.

The dust from the woman Soul Reaper sliced through the restraint of his left ankle. Power gushed out of Takeshi's body like a torrent. A fifth of his power unexpectedly restored, Takeshi's speed and strength increased as such. The battle was now slightly more even, and frankly slightly more boring for the Vasto Lorde. The strike's were slower now, since he was faster. The pain was less intense and present, since he was stronger, his skin tougher. The shock wave of the released power blew away the dust, as well as the two scythes of the spiky haired Lieutenant. The two close combat Lieutenants drew back slightly as the weight of Takeshi's power forced them to readjust their senses to adapt to the new strength level of their enemy. They all seemed to grip their swords at least a little harder, glare at least slightly more intensely.

All except the Captain. He was on the ground, face first with a pool of blood staining the sands around his large frame, with as many wounds as the samurai Bankai giant must have sustained. The giant was gone, as was the red aura of spiritual power around the werewolf Captain that came with it. The one with the sunglasses, the one that was the Captain's Lieutenant, was boiling with suppressed rage as the sight of his fallen Captain.

"Coward! Using his subordinates to strike him down for you!" He yelled.

Takeshi laughed, "You think that was cowardly? Don't you think you should have stopped hitting your Captain's pet?"

Iba growled, "Shut up, Hollow!"

"Being the strongest Hollow in Hueco Muendo, I'll take that as a compliment. Even though I know you meant that to be an insult, Soul Reaper," Takeshi said, "Now, I'll give you all two options. One, you can all strike at me with your best possible attack, and if I'm knocked unconscious then you can take me prisoner. Or, Two, i defeat you all right here and now so you can all go back to your precious Soul Society to get some better challenges for me. What will it be?"

The blond rushed forwards, a determined look on his face, as he slipped into a Flash Step. Takeshi felt three separate cuts from the Lieutenants strangely angular sword on his right forearm, and five extremely quick cuts to his left forearm. The dust from the woman Soul Reaper, Rangiku they called her just now, swirled around him once again, immediately after the blond struck his arms. The cuts weren't superficial and weak, but deep, biting gashes that caused Takeshi's pure white skin to be stained crimson with his own blood. The scythes of Shuhei came during the time Rangiku's dust was cutting him up, slicing deeper still laceration in his stomach that would have caused his intestines to spill out if he had had any to begin with. The blade that belonged to Iba sunk, far deeper then the first attempt at his shoulder, into his spine from behind ad actually stuck out into his Hollow hole, which was a large void at were his sternum had been. Then they all pulled back, all sharing a heavy panting breathing pattern from their efforts, with smug looks on their faces as they inspected their handiwork.

Takeshi forearms were definitely heavier now, about thirty two times heavier to be exact. He could still lift them, but the effort it would take to use them in combat at his current strength level would be taxing to say the least. His wounds, the new ones that would have been fatal had he not been a Vasto Lorde with high speed regeneration, were already starting to mend. The blood he had lost was insignificant, the pain was already well within the range he could deal with. He was laughing. Evil cackles of sadistic elation echoed through the Menos Forest. The Lieutenants blinked, blank expressions of confusion etched into their features. Rangiku looked slightly creeped out, while the rest of them could only think of when they had seen Kenpachi Zaraki when he should be dead but just getting started.

After all, that was exactly what was happening. Takeshi slowly ripped away his remaining restraints, and let the dam that had been keeping his power at bay shatter like brittle twigs. Power slammed into the Lieutenants, racing through the Menos Forest and being followed by a shock wave and a rush of wind. The Lieutenants were rooted in place, the pressure they were feeling pressing down on them hard. They were Lieutenants, after all, so they quickly adjusted to this new pressure. But the fact still remained that Takeshi's power was immense. It was raw like Kenpachi, as well as oppressive.

"I hate to disappoint you all, Soul Reapers," Takeshi said, his voice raw as his power boiled around him, a deep and intimidating crimson, "But I think that you all should go back home and find some stronger opponents for me to fight, alright?"

They all seemed to growl, taking that as an insult, while Iba spoke again, "How dare you, use us to defeat our Captain and then say that!"

"Listen," Takeshi said, irritated, "I could cut you all in half twice before you could even think about reacting. I have enough power to almost slaughter you all without a second thought. I don't think that you have the place to be arguing with me. So shut up, go back home, and bring back some more Captains before I go over there and do it myself."

Iba, yelling, charged Takeshi with his sword raised. Takeshi's image flickered. When it came back into focus, Iba was on the ground with a hole punched into his stomach. Shuhei threw his scythes, but Takeshi was already behind him, his taloned hand gripping his spine. He slammed his fist to Shuhei's temple, knocking him out. The blond, one Rangiku had called Izuru, Lieutenant slashed at Takeshi's forearms again. Figuring that his ability was to double the weight of whatever he cut, Takeshi sliced his talons across Izuru's chest, and punched his weapon out of his grasp as he stumbled from the sudden pain. Next, of course, was Rangiku. Takeshi didn't like the idea of harming the woman, something to do with what he was in his past life and his honor. He didn't move to touch Rangiku, but he did use his Sonido to appear behind her. He grabbed both of her wrists and held them almost playfully behind her back, and moved so that his mouth was right next to Rangiku's ear.

"Don't worry, beautiful," Takeshi said, with a undoubtedly creepy voice, "Nothing bad is going to happen to you."

Rangiku struggled, growling in anger as she yelled, "Let go of me, Hollow!"

The dust that had been so effective before had virtually no effect on Takeshi now that he was at full power bit into his skin, but he ignored it as he continued, "Make sure that you get your Captain to come after me. I can always just go to the Living World and kill enough of them to get their attention, so don't keep me waiting for more then...let's say six months, alright? If there isn't any one in Hueco Muendo by that time, the Human world will be about half as populated as it once once was. Got that?"

"Y-Yes," Rangiku said, twisting to try and get away.

Takeshi flared his spiritual power, and felt the Soul Reaper in his arms faint from the pressure he had put out. The one that he had taken down, but didn't knock out, fainted as well. Takeshi let go of her and lay her gently down onto the sands of the Menos Forest. He retrieved his restraints and put them back on. He used a Sonido and reached the hill in the middle of the arena he had chosen. He waited until the reinforcements for the five Soul Reapers arrived to retrieve them, since there was a woman among them, and Takeshi could not find it in himself to leave a woman unconcious in a place like the Menos Forest.

When they arrived, Takeshi made his leave, vanishing into the darkest reaches of the Menos Forest.

* * *

I had spent a week at the Kuchiki Manor by now. I had all but gotten used to wearing the kimonos that were only for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, to the luxurious accommodations that they had given me, and to the countless other things that only nobles were able to do. The practice I had been getting in with Rukia at night, where she explained exactly what was required of me, had helped immensely. The way I ate my food, the way I sat, the way I spoke, how I acted in front of certain people, all of these things were learned by candlelight with a raven haired Kuchiki while we were both surrounded by her Chappy collection. I was slowly, but surely, becoming a Kuchiki by every aspect except through blood. I was to meet the Elders of the Kuchiki Clan sometime tomorrow, since they were curious of the "Rukkon trash that had somehow weaseled her way into staying at the Kuchiki Manor" was the word for word reasoning from the letter Rukia had received just yesterday. Rukia, saying that this was the reason for her late night lessons of noble etiquette the first night I arrived here, had continued to be the best thing to have ever happened to me. I excelled in almost every aspect of what she taught me, the manners, the posture, the detached expressions and way of speaking. When we had some alone time, however, Rukia and I acted as if we were back in our dorm in the Academy, laughing and talking about random things until it was time for me to retire to my room and get enough sleep in order to wake up early enough to get ready for breakfast. We loved each other's company, so much so that we had become close enough to talk in looks. And my manners and etiquette was so good, in fact, that I actually had a few servants assigned to me only two days after I had arrived in my Shihakusho, just after I had achieved my Shikai. Rukia knew I had it, and made me promise that only Byakuya, Ichigo, and her were allowed to see it, her reason being that it was safer that only the necessary people knew of its power. I promised to display it as soon as I had at least grasped some of the Captain level Kido that Rukia was going to teach me as soon as the meeting with the Elders was over with.

Byakuya had been very kind to me all this time, being strangely forgiving whenever I slipped up on my manners or spoke without permission. He was less harsh with Rukia as well, come to think of it, since I had arrived. He wasn't outwardly softer and kinder at all in fact, but subtly so. He let some things go, rather then punishing someone for the minutest mistake. Rukia, since she had known Byakuya for at least forty or so years now, had mentioned to me how his gaze wasn't as harsh and cold ever since I had arrived. Since Rukia had mentioned it, I too noticed the extremely subtle changes to his attitude since the first time I had gotten here. That's not to say that everyone could see it. In fact, if I looked at Byakuya without a sharp eye and just as he appeared to every one else, he didn't look as if anything had changed at all. I felt honored regardless, that I had any positive impact on such a noble, let alone a Clan Head like him.

I walked through the halls of the Kuchiki Manor, a beautiful silk kimono with elegant floral designs wrapped around my small frame. The light of midday glowed through the windows of the hall, catching some stands of my pale white hair and making it look as if they themselves were glowing. My hair was held up in a traditional way with a clip, folded in such a way that it held all of my hair in an intricate knot that kept my long hair from reaching past the nape of my small neck. There was a stray strand that either was between my eyes, much like Rukia actually, or tucked behind my ear. I had on sandals similar to the ones from my Shihakusho, and a special kind of scarf that both went with the kimono and covered my facial scar. My hands were inside the other's sleeve and before my chest, so keep them warm since it was rather chilly outside. A servant, one that helped me get into the kimono and do my hair, was following me at a respectable distance. My face was void of emotion, my blue eyes passively noting where I was in the Manor. Since I had arrived, I had been through enough of the home to know where everything was located, so that I no longer needed to politely ask the servant that took care of me in the morning for directions.

It was time for me to meet Byakuya and Rukia for breakfast. Around six in the morning, if I recalled, though it could have been five in the morning of Byakuya wished it of me. I was extremely grateful to Byakuya for what he had done for me, so losing sleep to help with his busy schedule wasn't too big of a price to pay. Turning left at an intersection of the halls, then a sharp right so that I stopped before the doors of the dining hall, I had arrived. I took a deep breath, composing myself all over again just to make sure I complied with all the things Rukia had taught me during her training sessions. Then I knocked gingerly enough to be polite, but loudly enough to be heard.

Then I called out in a polite tone to the one's inside the room, "Lord Kuchiki, may I enter?"

"Who is it that asks entry?" Byakuya called back in an equally polite tone, though it was also authoritative and stronger.

"Misami Tsukino, my Lord," I answered.

"Enter," Came the response.

The servant quietly slipped past me and grabbed hold of the handles of the double doors. She pushed them open with just enough force, so that they opened wide enough for my small frame to enter, but close enough together to make it easier to close once I was inside the room. As soon as I entered, I located Byakuya at the head of the table, with Rukia sitting to his right. hey both looked at me with expectant expressions, both holding secret looks of encouragement to some degree in their eyes. I bowed towards Byakuya at the waist, my body almost making a right angle as I did so, "Thank you, Lord Byakuya, for allowing me to eat along with you, and for allowing me to stay in your home."

Byakuya looked into my eyes as soon as my elegant bow was finished and I was standing upright, "Misami, you need not thank me every meal for either of those things. The honor is mine."

I couldn't help it, and blinked in surprise, "Lord Byakuya..."

He looked away, breaking eye contact politely, and giving me a chance to compose myself instead of ridiculing me, "Please, sit. The cooks have told me that they have made this meal exceptionally well the morning."

"Yes, of course, Lord Byakuya," I said, moving at a brisk, but elegant nonetheless, pace to my seat across from Rukia and to Byakuya's left. Sitting on the cushion, cross-legged, with my small frame in perfect posture. The food, like all the other meals I'd had thus far, was amazingly tasty. Though etiquette forced me to eat in far too small servings, I eventually was full enough that I could wait until lunch to eat again. I talked with Byakuya about how he was doing, with permission of course, and what was expected of me the next day when the Elders were supposed to arrive. He had given me a discreet, extremely small smile, and explained the situation currently gripping the attention of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

He explained that there was a Vasto Lorde Hollow that had attacked a patrol in Hueco Muendo, the reinforcements that were sent afterward to hunt that hollow down, and even a Lieutenant. The Vasto Lorde had asked, apparently in return for the lives that he spared, that the Court Guard Squads send strong still enemies. Byakuya even said that they had sent a Captain and four Lieutenants to take him down, and they had failed. I listened, my expression void of any emotion and an expression in my eyes that let Byakuya know that I was interested, but on the inside I was shocked to hear the story. What kind of Hollow could be strong enough to defeat a Captain and four Lieutenants? How was that even possible? I shook off the thought before it could overshadow what Byakuya spoke of next.

"As for the Elders' visit," Byakuya said, changing the subject quickly, "I expect you to be on the best possible behavior you can manage. They are going to want to evaluate you to see why it is that I have invited you to stay here. They don't always agree with my decisions since I have made some that go against our rules and traditions as nobles. Frankly, your being here may fall under that category. So they have taken it upon themselves to see if my choice of a guest is anything like Rukia."

"I see," I said politely, "Then I shall be so well behaved that they may just mistake me for a Kuchiki."

Rukia let out an amused laugh, "That is just the idea, Misami. That would make us both extremely pleased."

Byakuya nodded, voicing his agreement, "Yes, I would have to agree with Rukia. That would make all our lives extremely easier."

It was my turn to nod, "Then I promise you, Lord Byakuya, and Miss Kuchiki, that I will do just that."

Rukia gave me a discreet smile and nodded her head in acknowledgment, then turned to Byakuya, "Brother, may Misami and I be excused?"

He turned towards Rukia and said, "Yes, you may. Lunch will be served at the normal time of course."

"Thank you," Rukia said, respect and politeness ringing in her voice, then she turned to me, "Misami, shall we?"

"Of course, Miss Kuchiki," I said, rising. I gave a small, courteous bow to Byakuya before I left, "Until we meet again, Lord Byakuya."

"Have a good day, Misami, I will see you later." Byakuya rose and turned to a servant and began to whisper quietly with him.

I followed Rukia out the door, falling in step at her right. She was still slightly taller then me, but she said that I was about the same height as her when she was my age. I took it to mean that I wasn't going to get much taller and end up around Rukia's height, which I didn't mind as much as I probably should. The kimono I was wearing was combating the chilly weather. Rukia was wearing her Shihakusho, with her Zanpakuto now sheathed and at her side. She had told me she had some duties to attend to at Squad Thirteen. Her Lieutenant's badge was on her left shoulder, and to day was the about the third time I had seen it. I was wandering how long she had been a Lieutenant since I had known her. She wore a different Shihakusho in fact. The sleeve that had the Lieutenant's badge wrapped on it was shortened. She wore similar tekko to Byakuya, but they reached all the way up to just past her elbows. Her hair however, stayed the same, shoulder length from where it seemed to flow out from her neck. She still had those strands of hair that went between her indigo eyes.

I had changed slightly from when I had arrived from Hanging Dog. I was the same height as when I had arrived, maybe an inch taller. My white hair was still long enough to reach the small of my back, and I had planned to maybe cut it so that it was just below my shoulder blades. My bangs covered my right eye in three increasingly longer strands of hair with the first going between my eyes, the second covering the inner half of my eye, and the third covering the rest of my eye and most of the scar on my right cheek. My white scarf covered the rest of the scar that showed through my bangs. The sleeves of my Shihakusho seemed a but to roomy to me, and I was planning on possibly shortening them so they wouldn't be in the way in a fight, maybe to my elbows

We walked the way from the Kuchiki Manor to the Squad Thirteen Barracks in about an hour, with a Flash Step here and there to speed up the process since the distances between places in the Seireitei were immense. The squad members looked at me with curious looks, and I wandered for the briefest moment, but soon realized. I was in an elegant kimono, my white hair in a stylized knot, my blue eyes looking with strong gaze, my body in ridged posture, my hands in the roomy sleeves of the kimono. I was basically a noble, just not by blood, and these Soul Reapers had never heard of a white haired Kuchiki in their lives. They looked to Rukia, who happened to be to busy to explain who exactly I was, as we went to the officer's quarters. We went to the office that belonged to Rukia, and I sat down in an extra chair. She had a mountain of paper work to do since she had been away from the Squad for so long, and had a lot to do it seemed.

"Rukia, do you want to help?" I asked after ten minutes.

Rukia looked up, and smiled, 'Why not?"

I took my chair and sat next to her. We worked in relative silence, not really having a reason to talk unless I was unsure on what to do with a certain paper. When we finished, three hours had past, leaving us three to get back to the Kuchiki Manor for lunch. The paperwork, though tedious, was not difficult at all, surprisingly. I counted that as a good thing since I heard the higher position I received, the more paperwork would be required of me. I placed the final paper in the "Complete" box that Rukia had on the corner of her desk, and turned to follow her out of the office. I stayed by her side while we weaved through the barracks of the Thirteenth Squad, but was surprised as we took a different route.

Instead of moving through the gate that lead out of the barracks and onto the road which lead to the Kuchiki Manor, Rukia lead me to a hill with a river at its foot. The small river, looking more like a stream, flowed slowly and quietly, its banks adorned with some bushes and trees. Rukia sit down quietly on the hill and looked down on the stream with sad look in her eyes. She hugged her legs to her chest tightly, and rested her chin on her knees, just like I do when I am suddenly burdened by some of my bad memories. I quietly sat down next to her, both of our emotionless masks shattered and the world could see exactly how the both of us felt. Rukia's eyes held a sort of loneliness, and a deep regret burrowed into her gaze. My expression was one of concern and worry, since I never really liked to see Rukia upset unless she was arguing with Ichigo, which didn't really count. I caught her eye and gave her a questioning look.

"The Lieutenant before me had made my life a whole lot better starting at this place down by that stream," Rukia said, seeming to fight both tears of happiness and sadness, "I wanted to show you where my life started to change for the better when I told you what I'm about to tell you. It's going to change your life, that much I am certain. Whether it ends up being for the better of for the worse, it depends on how you take the news and what you do with it."

"What is it Rukia?" I asked, sounding every bit the child I was, every bit as worried as I was.

"The Elders..." Rukia said, losing her voice catching, as if she were unsure whether she should tell me or not, "The Elders are coming for a different reason then what the letter they sent said."

"Really?" I said, when Rukia left that statement to hang in the air for a few long seconds, "Then what, Rukia? Your starting to scare me a little."

"They are coming to see if you are worthy enough to be adopted into the Kuchiki Clan," Rukia said finally.

She stared forward as she said that, so she didn't see my reaction. I blinked, in total shock. The Kuchiki's, arguable the most powerful and influential noble clans in all of the Soul Society, wanted to adopt _me_? I couldn't understand why they could possibly want to have me in their clan when I came from such a low place. Rukia I understood, since Byakuya had promised his wife that he would find Rukia and do his best to protect her once he did. They couldn't possibly hope to gain anything by adopting me, right? What did I have that they could want? I didn't speak because I couldn't. I didn't know what to say to what she had said. Of course, I wanted for them to adopt me, for me to be Byakuya's and Rukia's adopted sister. Who wouldn't want to?

"Misami?" Rukia turned towards me with a nervous expression, "Are you okay with being a part of our family?"

I snapped out of my daze, looking at her with a blank expression before my eyes started to tear up without warning. I was overcome by a rush happiness and gratitude. I couldn't help by cry. I fell onto Rukia and hugged her close as I did so. She gingerly hugged me back, as I buried my face into her shoulder muttering "Thank you" at least a hundred times. Rukia let me cry for a good five minutes, she spoke in a soft voice that I could tell she was smiling as she used it. I couldn't believe it. I was going to have something I never thought I could ever have: A family. I had a name, strength, and friends, three things that I longed to have since I knew what they meant. But I had resigned myself to the fact that Having a family, a real one, was just too impossible for someone like me to get. I felt whole now, since Rukia had offered this to me. I was going to have a big sister and a big brother. I truly couldn't believe it. I really didn't care that they were such rich and powerful nobles, even though almost everyone else that had grown up in Hanging Dog with me would definitely have wanted to get their hands of n the Kuchiki funds. All I ever wanted, more then a name or power to protect myself, was to belong. To belong in a family, that cared for me, and to have friends that cared for me just as much as my family did. Now, that was a tangible reality.

When I finally pulled myself together, I took a deep breath and looked at Rukia in the eye, "I would love to be a part of your family, Rukia."

She smiled, the biggest and happiest smile I had ever seen her wear, "Good...I'm really glad you feel the same way about it as I do, Misami."

"When did you ask Byakuya if I could be adopted, then?" I asked, pulling away from Rukia's arms so I could sit next to her.

"Actually," Rukia said, giggling a little, "When I asked him, I was extremely nervous that he would be angry that I would want you to be adopted even though I knew about how angry the Elders were with him over Hisana and I. But he had looked actually surprised. Then he said that he had aleady thought of adopting you on the grounds of how high your spiritual pressure is."

"Really?" I asked, "He looked shocked?"

Rukia nodded earnestly, "I swear he did."

"Huh," I said, then giggled, "I can't believe it, Rukia. Does this mean that you're going to be my sister?"

She nodded and smiled, "It does. As along as the Elders like you just enough."

"Right," I nodded, "So is there anything that I need to make sure and not do when they start their evaluation of me, then?"

Rukia pondered that for a second before answering, "Just make sure that you don't give them any reason to think you ever came from Hanging Dog. As long as you act like a Kuchiki, they will have an easier time accepting you. My-our-brother has the final say regardless, since he is the Head of the clan. But it never hurts when you have the support of the Elders."

"Alright," I said, smiling, "Then shouldn't we get back before lunch?"

Rukia nodded, rising to her feet. I followed suit, wiping away a stray tear with the sleeve of my kimono as I did. Rukia and I already had our stoic, detached expressions before we even left the hill. We walked out of the Squad Barracks smoothly, with me keeping pace while still managing to look like a noble princess at the same time. Squad members looked on, but didn't ask questions when they saw Rukia's Lieutenants badge. We reached the Kuchiki Manor without much incident, or conversation for that matter. Rukia was too busy thinking of her job as the Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen, while I was preoccupied with thoughts of what I was going to have to do to impress the Elders to earn the right to have a family. When we reached the Manor, Rukia and I went our separate ways since it was lunch time and we needed to freshen up. We bowed, said our goodbyes and I headed to my room while she went to tell Byakuya of our conversation at the Barracks.

My room was clean, the bed made by the servants that had been assigned to me. The kimono I was to wear for lunch was laid out perfectly on the bed, with a basket at the foot of the bed for the kimono I was about to take off. I had gotten good enough at taking the kimono's I wore off, so I no longer required a servant to help me with putting them on after the first time in the morning. My hair still exquisitely made and held up out of the way, it was even easier. I slipped out of the beautiful silk of the first kimono and gently placed it in the basket. I was left in a white undergarment that looked much like the white under-kimono of my Shihakusho. I quickly, though just as gently, took the new kimono and slipped into it. It was a deep ocean blue that was accented with the same ice blue as my default eye color. Stunning simply could begin to describe the silk clothing, but I couldn't come up with another word to describe it.

I left my room quietly, sensing the presence of my assigned servant as she quietly followed me to the dining hall just as she did six or seven hours ago. This was the routine that I had fallen into over the past week, after all. We arrived at the same intersection, taking the same left then a sharp right that left me before those same great and strong double doors. The same polite knock. The same polite tone.

"Lord Kuchiki, may I enter?"

"Yes, Misami, enter," Byakuya called out, his tone somehow sharper then this morning, almost perceptively so.

But when the servant opened the doors this time, I wasn't met with the sight of just Byakuya and Rukia. No, there were about six other nobles sitting at the long table. My seat to Byakuya's left was not taken, however. I didn't let myself show how surprised I was to see these other nobles, but instead bowed in acknowledgement of their presence before I headed quietly to me place. Rukia was giving me a discreet look that was meant to sent encouragement in our strange new language of looks we gave each other. The other nobles were looking straight at me when I sat down, maintaining the correct posture through the process. I could feel them dissecting my every muscle twitch and expression. But I could tell, no matter how well they tried to hide it, they were all at least a little impressed with my display thus far. Then we all looked to Byakuya, whom had touched his fork to his glass to command our attention.

"It was the idea of all of you to surprise Miss Tsukino with your early arrival," Byakuya began, "I suggest that you begin your evaluation by the time the meal is over. After that, Miss Tsukino will be too busy learning Captain level Kido to answer any of your questions to a satisfactory degree. Do I make myself clear?"

The cooks and servers brought out the food. Great multitudes of delicacies fit to be eaten by such esteemed men and women, by nobles of the Soul Society. The cutlery was set before them, the plates as well. The perfect proportions of food, the right amount of drink. All of these servants working together so that each of the nobles in this room was satisfied. I looked down at my plate, the food reminding me of the hunger I felt about thirty minutes prior to this situation, while I was getting ready. They assaulted me with questions as soon as the food had begun to be served.

Where are you from? What is it you wish to be? What do you wish to gain from becoming a Kuchiki? How are you faring in your studies? Are you aware of the things you will have to up hold if you were to be adopted into our clan? How long have you been at the Academy? How old are you?

Countless others were asked, and it lasted well into an hour. They watched my every move, listened intensely to every rise and fall of my small, yet confident voice. They ventured to ask Rukia some questions as well to see if I were telling the truth. Some even brought Byakuya into the conversation, even though he seemed to be quite upset that they had sprung their evaluation a day early. My answers either satisfied them, left them no room to question my answer, or forced them to tune to Rukia or Byakuya for confirmation. It was taxing, irritating and overall just tedious. Their questions turned oddly personal, aimed towards shattering the emotionless mask I wore. Their attempts were rather futile, since talking about my past was no longer a problem thanks to Rukia, and since I had no real romantic life to be ridiculed on. Soon ,they began to run out of questions to ask, their eyes betraying how increasingly surprised they were at my display of self-control and discipline. Eventually, it was time for the nobles to leave, and for Rukia and I to begin the Captain Kido, according to Byakuya. I rose with them, but Byakuya stopped them all from leaving. Intrigued, the six nobles and I turned back to Byakuya and awaited what he wish of us.

"I take it that your evaluation was completed in the time allotted?" He questioned the nobles, looking past me.

"Yes, my Lord," one of them responded.

"Then what is your answer?" Byakuya pressed, "What is your decision?"

They all blinked, obviously expecting to be given time to mull over their choice like I did. I stepped away as they began to whisper among themselves, like they were some conceded human posse. They seemed to be arguing, with four against two. I gave Rukia a look that told her how worried I was. Rukia gave me a look of reassurance, then looked back at the group of nobles as the whispers began to dissipate.

The oldest of the elders turned to face Byakuya, and me to some extent since I was closer to him then the group of nobles. He looked at Byakuya in the eye and spoke in a very formal and deep tone, "We, the Elders of the great Kuchiki Clan, to which, you, Lord Byakuya, are its Head, hereby approve of the adoption of Misami Tsukino into our Clan."


	9. Elegant Beauty of the Kuchiki

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the wait! This chapter turned out to be so long that I had to cut out the next chapter from it! This one's about 12,500 words, and I didn't think you guys would want to read anything longer then that so I cut it off at that and pasted it into a new document as the next chapter! I'll post the next chapter between twenty-four and forty-eight hours from the time this was uploaded. Anyways, I hope that you all enjoy this next chapter!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! Yup! She has a family after a thousand years of being alone! I thought it was finally time, anyways! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**Thank you, Chilly292, for reviewing! I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter! I'm really happy that I captured the suspense of that moment so that it could have that effect on you! I want to apologize for taking so long, I had a long week the last time I posted and this chapter took forever to write! I hope the length of this and the update right after it makes up for my absence!**

**Thank you, Meatbun Attack, for reviewing! I'm happy to see that you enjoyed the story and my choice of the plot! I thought that since Ichigo was technically already dead because his Chain of Fate was severed in the first arc, he would simply just be punched out of his body as if it were a Gigai. As for the Hollow, I figured that since Vasto Lorde are the most powerful Hollow and also rumored to be stronger then even a Captain, he would be like a sort of mini-Aizen of sorts in the area of being O.P. and a kind of Hollow-Kenpachi in how he thinks and fights. As for romance, Misami is still at the physical age of eleven, so that will be a ways off before that becomes a factor for her. But, if you have suggestions, PM me or put it in a review! And for the squad she will be joining, that will be revealed in the next chapter! I hope this chapter was as good as the last! Enjoy!**

I was eerily quiet. Shock stayed my tongue from saying anything, or my face from displaying any emotion. Disbelief came next. They had condoned it, agreed to have a ten year old girl from Hanging Dog be adopted into possibly the most powerful Noble Clans in all of the Soul Society.

I had nothing to my name seven months ago. No name, no friends, and only the clothes on my back that I had worn for a century. And definitely no family. My earliest memories were of running away from a Hollow in the South 79th district when I was of the physical age of three, of my lungs bursting for air as I ducked into a cave that was nestled at the base of a mountain that was near the border to Hanging Dog. I never can for the life of me remember anything before that. I knew that if I was that old when that happened, then I must have died at a young age. After the Hollows lost interest in me and left me alone to cower in that cave, I had been to terrified to come out to make sure that it had left. When I did, I had wandered on into Hanging Dog on my toddler legs. I stuck to the shadows anytime I saw movement. Eventually, I found a group of kids who let me stay with them, and the rest is history to me.

I knew why they would allow such a thing, to let someone like me into the clan. I was, after all merely a child and possessed enough power for a Fourth Seat, had manners that rivaled even some of the Elders, and was among the top five percent in academics at the Soul Reaper Academy. Whether I liked it or not, I was exceptional in many aspects. I supposed I gave off the vibe that I would do all I could to honor the Kuchiki name, and seemed to have to capacity to achieve great things. The mention of Captain level Kido by Byakuya was a nice touch that had seemed to peak the Elders interests. They seemed to be impressed with my answers, even though they did their best to hide it from my prying eyes. The questions, the personal ones that they had asked towards the tail end of the session, were strange and seemed to be aimed at breaking my stone wall of an expression. When they realized how futile that was, they seemed to allow the idea of me being one of them seemed to be more acceptable for them. I still saw some contempt filled glares from some of the Elders, but the majority of them seemed to be okay with me being adopted. I was starting to feel the reality of it all. It was finally dawning on me.

I was a Kuchiki. A Noble of the Soul Society.

The Elders filed out quietly, my back to them. My head was hung low since I didn't seem to have the energy to raise it even one centimeter. Rukia stood up quietly from where she was sitting. She was looking at me, most likely with an expectant gaze as my bangs covered both my eyes from her view instead of just one. I buried my face into the scarf around my neck that acted much like a muffler. The silvery white fabric smelled sweetly of the soap it was washed in not too long ago. My strength was gone, held away from me by the overwhelming emotions that came with the news of my acceptance into the clan.

_It's your clan, now, as well, Misami, _Hikari said in a reassuring tone.

I mentally chuckled, _I suppose so, huh?_

"Misami Tsukino," Byakuya's strong voice cut off what Hikari's response, if there was one, "Could you please stand before me?"

I felt my shock dissipate, like his strong voice had pulled me out of a river, and I lifted my head. My bangs fell and covered both the top half of my cheek scar and my right eye in the process. My scarf covered the bottom half, masking the scar completely from view in the process, as well as my mouth up to the tip of my nose. My eyes were both on the verge of tears, the pure joy that came with the thought of being a part of this family making it very difficult to mask my emotions as well before the Kuchiki Clan head. Five steps was all that was needed to move my small, childish frame from where I had stood to a foot in front of Byakuya. I looked down in subjugation, awaiting what was going to happen next. Rukia had never taught me about the process in which I would be adopted into the clan, maybe because she knew as well as I the chances that information could have been void of importance. I heard an intake of breath, a very subtle one, rush into my mouth and into my chest. I didn't even realize the nervous energy that had been building up inside of me since the Elders had let the room know their judgement. I feared I would burst at any moment, whether into tears or laughter was the main question.

"Kneel, Misami Tsukino," Byakuya ordered.

I complied, gracefully setting myself down so that I was sitting on my shins and my heels dug into my rear. I heard Byakuya reach for something within his Shihakusho, the rustling of fabric on fabric as he drew it out. He was calm and smooth with his movements, the exact opposite of what I was feeling right at the moment. Small beads of sweat were forming on my forehead, my breath catching slightly but not enough to be all that noticeable, thankfully. What could he be holding right now? Had he brought it with him with the intention of giving it to me regardless of the Elders decision? Did Rukia know about it? What was it?

"Misami Tsukino," Byakuya's strong voice jolted me out of my train of thought before I could drown in all my questions, and compelling me to raise my head to look into his eyes as he spoke, "The Elders of the Kuchiki Clan, and I, the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, have deemed you worthy of being taken into our house. You, a girl from the lowest parts of our society, have gained the favor of one of the highest Noble families of that same society. Do you accept our offer of adoption, and the name of Kuchiki?"

"Yes," I said, my voice reflecting how grateful, and honored I was to hear those words, "I accept."

"And do you accept the rules, responsibilities, and honors that you are to uphold?" He said, in an equally regal and formal tone.

"I do," I said, nodding to emphasize my resolve to do so.

"Then take these tekko and wear them and your name proudly," Byakuya said, and I could almost see a smile on his face as he did. I probably imagined it.

He handed me two finger-less white tekko that were just like Rukia's, just the right length to reach just past my elbows. I slipped on first the left, then the right garment. They were very comfortable, made of a strange silk-like cloth that was still ridged enough so the the fabric did not wrinkle except at my elbow and wrist. They went well with the scarf that I wore around my neck, and did not contradict the silk of the kimono I was wearing. They would definitely keep my arms warm despite the biting cold of the Soul Society winter. I looked over to Rukia, whom was giving me one of her rare small, genuine smiles as she adjusted her own tekko. I felt nothing but joy and acceptance in her gaze, and it made me let out a small smile from under my scarf. Byakuya shifted where he stood, catching my eye and regain my attention. He held out a hand to me in an inviting gesture. His expression was still as stone cold as ever, but there was a hidden message in his eyes. That he was proud to be able to call me his sister. That he was satisfied with his decision to adopt me into his family. Only Rukia and I could have possibly seen that look in his eyes, so well masked was this emotion that he allowed to peek through. Then he spoke, and when he said my name, my true name, my heart swelled with pride, happiness flooding my body.

"Rise," Byakuya said in a formal tone, "Misami Kuchiki."

I obeyed his command, just as I always have from the moment I met him. I took his hand, mine enveloped by the warmth of his. I only came up to his waist, maybe a little past it. I was still a ten year old girl, bordering on eleven. It was hard to gauge my physical age with how we souls aged. I looked straight into Byakuya's eyes, something that took a lot of courage on my part because of how powerful and intimidating the man was. He tilted his head down to meet my gaze and awaited for me to speak, since I had a look in my eyes that told him that I had a question I was scared to ask.

"Is it now acceptable, lord Byakuya, for me to address you now as 'Brother'?" I asked gingerly.

He nodded, "Of course, Misami. After all, you are now Rukia and I's sister."

I hooked a finger into my scarf and pulled it down just enough so that Byakuya could see how big of a smile that I was wearing, "Thank you...Brother."

"Misami," Rukia said, catching both Byakuya's and I's attention, "I think we should get to your Kido training right away. I have a feeling that they will send you in with the next team to go against the Hollow that has called himself Takeshi Yagami."

I nodded, "Of course, Rukia."

Rukia returned my nod, then turned to Byakuya, "Will that be alright with you, Brother?"

"It's fine, I will be in my office in the meantime," Byakuya said, almost dismissively, "Just be sure to notify myself and the cooking staff if your training prohibits you from making a timely arrival for our dinner."

"I will, Brother," Rukia bowed then turned back to me, "Shall we?"

"Let's," I smiled under my scarf and followed Rukia out of the luxurious dining hall.

She lead me by the hand to my room, passing servants who actually seemed touched by the scene. We were acting like the sisters we now were, and I suppose we looked generally happy instead of the stone cold expressions we usually wore. I always noticed how the servants who aided both me and Rukia, more me than her because of my age, seemed to take pity on us for having to abide by strict rules and customs. I understood their sympathy, since I felt the same way as they did when I lived in Hanging Dog, and then the Academy. They even verbally voiced their opinions to me in the privacy on my room when no one else was around and I was changing. They always asked if I really wanted this for myself, to force myself to mature so soon. I always responded with how grateful I was to Rukia, how much she meant to me, how little I had without both her and Byakuya, and finished with my unspoken promise to myself that I would follow whatever orders they gave me in order to repay the debt I owed them. That response always seemed to satisfy, but there were always that one or two servants that would still mutter, "I still feel sorry for you, ma'am." I saw now in those same servants faces as we passed them, that they were truly happy for us and our change in demeanor. Maybe they knew that I was going to be making this place my home from now on since I was adopted into the clan? Would they be okay with that?

"Okay, Misami," Rukia said, setting me down in my bed then continuing over to my closet, "Where did you put your Shihakusho?"

I giggled, "It's under my bed, Rukia. And so are my Zanpakuto, if you're wondering."

Rukia turned and rolled her eyes, "Well, go ahead and get ready. Wear your Zanpakuto too, since I feel like your going to need them for some review of the Mid-level Kido."

"Okay, Rukia!" I said cheerily, acting every bit the child I was for once.

She smiled once again, "Oh, and I have a surprise for you when you are ready."

At that she left me to change in my room. I smiled to myself slightly, Rukia giving surprises meant that whatever it was, I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. I called in my servant, whom was standing outside my door per my instructions when Rukia had pulled me into my room. She quietly came in and bowed in my presence, even though I assured her she should feel no need to do so when we were alone. I reciprocated the gesture and then motioned to my kimono.

"Could you help me get out of this, and undo my hair?" I asked in my childishly soft voice, which was commonly described to me as both adorable and cute, "I would do it myself, but I really don't want to damage such a nice kimono or break the things holding my hair up like this."

"Of course, ma'am," The servant said, smiling, "Would you like me to have the cook make you and Miss Rukia a snack for your training session?"

I beamed at her, "That's a great idea! Could you please have him make three servings, in the case that either of us feel the need for another bite?"

"Consider it done, milady," The servant said, smile not faltering as she started to unwrap the cloth at my waist that I think as known as an _obi. _

"Thank you very much, miss!" I said with a cheery tone that I hadn't used in a long time, not counting when I used it with Rukia moments ago.

"'Miss'?" Th servant said, perplexed, while she gently placed the recently removed obi from my waist.

"Oh, would you prefer 'ma'am'?" I asked, confused becuase of her uncertainty.

"Why would you address me like that?" she asked me taking the kimono off my body, leaving me in the white under kimono.

Taking off the under kimono as I stepped behind blinders to change into my Shihakusho, "Why wouldn't I?"

The servants voice was just as confused, as if it were a trick question, "Because I am but a servant?"

"Are you saying that simply because of social status that I would not address you with the same respect you have patiently shown me?" I asked, trading the under kimono for the under garments of my Shihakusho.

"Not just that, ma'am, but it is one reason," The servant said, handing me the trousers of my Soul Reaper uniform but did not invade my privacy.

"Where are you from?" I asked, starting to slid into the oddly comfortable bottoms of the Shihakusho.

"The 67th North Rukkon," She answered.

"Did they tell you where I was from?"

"I was told you were from the same district as Rukia. The 78th South Rukkon, Hanging Dog." She said.

"That's correct," I said, tucking in the top of my Shihakusho after I put in on, "So you know that I know how bad the world out there can get. And I know that being disrespected and treated like rats isn't very preferable. I like to treat other's differently then people treat them, unless I find the first way to be the best choice."

"I see," The servant said, quietly handing me my socks and sandals, "In that case, thank you very much for that."

I nodded, "Of course, my friend. So, how long do you think that it will take for the cooks to make that snack?"

The servant smiled, "Not long at all, Miss."

"Great!" I giggled slightly, "Alright, I think I can handle the rest. Will you please go and get the message to the cook?"

"Right away, Miss," And with that, and a lingering smile, the servant left the room.

I took my Light blade and slung its black strap across my chest, the hilt peeking out over my right shoulder. Then I wrapped the white cloth-like wrappings of my Shadow blade around my waist, the hilt of the sword sticking out from my right hip. I checked the straps on more time to make sure they were secure. Satisfied with my work, I exited my room to meet Rukia in the training grounds somewhere in the 3rd Rukkon Districts. The halls of the Kuchiki manor had been most of what I had seen in the past week. Even with the random trips with Rukia to the 13th division, or even the trips to the Kuchiki gardens, had done little to stem the boredom I sometimes felt when I had nothing to do but wait until the next meal. I conversed with my Zanpakuto, which helped more then I realized, but what I really wished I could do was train. I wanted to be stronger everyday, not flat line due to laziness. I felt freer then ever as I exited the Kuchiki Manor, with a farewell bow from the intimidating guardsmen.

The cold air of the winter rime did not affect me as much, now that I had both a scarf and the tekko Byakuya had given me. I did not rush to leave as I always did, but decided to walk at least part of the way to enjoy the Seireitei instead of just travel through it. The buildings were, as always, looking as if they were transplanted from Feudal Japan. I knew that this was nothing like what the Living World was like, but then again I wandered what it _was _like. Rukia always described it as a wondrous place, with many marvelous things that amazed her and confused her at every turn. Any time she would describe something, I would only get more confused. Beside that, the Seireitei was still an impressive place, with the clouds no where in sight to block the gorgeous sun. Soul Reapers, both strong ones and recruits, roamed the streets in groups. They talked of their assignments and of their latest exploits in the Rukkon and the Human World. Some would stop briefly in their conversation if one of their group pointed me out, and would whisper among themselves their ideas on who I could be. The tekko distinguished me as a Kuchiki right away, since it was one of the defining garments that Byakuya wore. I was used to gossip about my identity, since I did come from no where at all in their eyes. I found it ironic that, despite my, though I would deny it, shorter then average stature, I still seemed to be as noticeable as Ichigo was with his hair. Maybe it was the fact that I had two Zanpakuto, or my own hair, or how much of my face I covered? I didn't pay much attention to the Soul Reapers, even though if I were in their presence even a month before, I would have reacted much differently to their attention. They were, after all, what I had been striving to be since I had heard about them and since I met the white haired Captain, whom I no knew to be Rukia's Captain Ukitake. Before long I slipped into a quick Flash Step to speed up the progress of my arrival, searching for Rukia's Spiritual Pressure.

What I found was twice as amazing as what I thought I was going to find. Their were two powerful signatures on a hill not to far ahead. One was my sister's, Rukia. The other was probably twice as powerful as a Captain's, with its level fluctuating as if its owner had no idea how to control it all that well. Though it was still considerably more controlled the the blazing torment that he was giving off in the first days I knew him. His black long sword was strapped to his back, the hilt looming over his right shoulder just like I had it. He had an actual grin on his face for the first time in a long time. His tall frame seemed to tower over Rukia, whom was oddly close to him. There spiritual pressures were strangely close, and giving off nervous and embarrassed signatures. Processing the information on the fly, and suppressing my own spiritual power, I grinned under my scarf mischievously as I neared the two of them. Ichigo's orange hair was starkly contrasting with the green and lush hillside.

I heightened my Flash Step, and thereby increasing my speed tremendously. I silently appeared at there back's as they hugged each other closer. They were both blushing in embarrassment, a delicate smile touching Rukia's lips and a genuine one upon Ichigo's. Had I not matured as much as I did because of the Academy and being a noble, I would have immediately have broken them up and made a joke out of it. But I knew that it was not my place to interrupted something like this, since they were unlikely to find the time and the place to restart the whole process once again.

They gazed into each other's eyes, and that was all they had to do. They didn't exchange words, merely communicating with the looks in their eyes. They seemed so at peace in each others arms, that I actually smiled to myself despite the fact that I wasn't that much of a romantic myself. So to prevent further awkwardness on my part, I gently broke them apart with a distinguished clearing of my throat to alert them to my presence.

They jumped at least ten feet in the air, and with a surprised yelp. Ichigo, being the one to realize who was intruding on them, yelled down with a strawberry red blush, "Misami, what the heck!? Don't just go sneaking up on people like that!"

"Hey!" I shouted back, "It's not my fault that you were too busy with Rukia to notice me!"

"Sh-shut up!" Ichigo stuttered back, "You shouldn't have hidden your spiritual pressure!"

"What if I wasn't?" I shot back, "Just because you were good at Kido didn't help you in sensing other presences at all!"

"That's not true!" He shouted, "I sensed Rukia like a mile away!"

"Yeah," I chuckled, "Because your in _loooooove_ with her!"

"Both of you just shut up!" Rukia, whom was blushing just as badly as Ichigo, appeared in between us with a palm outstretched to each of us.

I buried my face into my scarf, "Sorry, Rukia..."

"It wasn't your fault, Misami..." Rukia suddenly said gently.

"What?! Why is she off the hook?" Ichigo said, comically astonished.

"Maybe because she likes me more then you?" I chimed in.

"Maybe because you're both short..." Ichigo mumbled.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Rukia and I both exclaimed in simultaneous irritation and annoyance.

"Noth- OW!" Ichigo started but was cut off by Rukia and I both kicking him in the shin as hard as we could. He almost toppled to the ground. We both smirked triumphantly, though my expression was mostly masked by the combination of my bangs and scarf. When Ichigo recovered, we reverted suddenly back to a normal conversation, as if nothing had ever happened.

"It's good to see you again, Ichigo!" I said happily, glad to be in the presence of the very few people I could show emotion to.

Ichigo's blush, along with Rukia's was gone for the moment, "It's good to see you again too, Misami. Sorry I didn't visit you at Byakuya's place, I was over in the Living World to visit with my family."

"Oh, that's fine," I said, then added curiously, "Do you think I could go with you next time?"

Ichigo looked at Rukia for confirmation, "I really don't know, but you can always be put on assignment there if you want. I mean, I think you would have to be in the thirteenth squad to get stationed in the city where my family lives though, since Karakura Town is under their responsibilities after all."

"That is true," Rukia confirmed, "But I can always ask for you to be recruited into the Thirteenth if you wanted to."

"Oh, okay!" I said, "So, what will we be doing for training, Rukia?"

She smiled, "We'll start by reviewing some og the Lieutenant level Kido before I teach you the Captain level. Sound good?"

I nodded, "That's fine with me!"

Rukia nodded, "Alright, then. Ichigo, go ahead and walk over there. You're going to try and block Misami's Hado."

Ichigo shrugged, already beginning to walk, "Fine with me."

After Ichigo was in position, I turned to Rukia with a questioning look, "Which first?"

She gave that a brief moment of thought before answering, "Sokatsui to start, then go to 63 once you feel like it."

I nodded, "Sounds good!"

I hooked a finger into my scarf and pulled it down so that it didn't cover any of my face, but it did touch my chin if a looked down even slightly. I raked my bangs back, so that they didn't cover my scar anymore, but several strands hung between my eyes like Rukia, just proportionally shorter. My cheek scar in full view, making Ichigo awkwardly look away as he remembered that he was the reason that was there to begin with. I positioned my hands in the correct form, steadied my right arm with my left and began the incantation, "_Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. _Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!"

The full incantation spell exploded out of my hand, extremely more powerful then the last time I had used it. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise as well, as he readied his blade to block, as I barely heard him mutter, "Enkosen."

His yellow rapidly spinning Bakudo shakily appeared. It blocked the pale fire Hado. It didn't surprise me since Ichigo's power level was through the roof. When my Hado dissipated and passed, Ichigo released his Bakudo and slumped a little before standing upright. He gave me a thumbs up to signal that he was ready for the next one. I nodded, looking to Rukia so she could see my smirking expression before I launched into the air. I vanished in a Flash Step before appearing directly above Ichigo as I started to chant and a ball of yellow electricity began to form in my hand, "_Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! _Hado No. 63: Raikoho!"

The small ball of lighting had grown into a torrent of lightning now as I fired it. The random discharges stopped and all struck downwards onto Ichigo's position. It was just like a real lightning strike. Ichigo, having no idea how to counter a vertical strike Flashed out of the way. The lightning struck the ground where Ichigo was moments before, and I watched with great interest as the ground exploded where the lightning bolt hit. Dust kicked up from the ground and masked Ichigo's position from my view, but I could still tell where he was by sensing his massive spiritual pressure. I felt it suddenly come under control, which signaled that he was using Kido. But before I could tell what he was using, I felt my arms get ripped to the small of my back. He had cast a Sai Bakudo. And then, before I could break the Kido, a yellow rope-like tendril of Bakudo raced towards me and wrapped itself around my hands. Hainawa, so he was stacking up the number of bindings. I flared my spiritual pressure, and jerked my hands free before Ichigo could cast the next spell, and started with my own.

I straightened out my hand, forming a cracking yellow ball of energy, I traced an inverted equilateral triangle. As I completed the triangle, smaller triangles emerged from the corners of the triangle I had made, and they were shaped like spear tips, "Hado No. 30: Shitotsu Sansen!"

The smaller, spear-like triangles shot out to wear Ichigo was standing. The smoke had dissipated now, revealing the three triangles pinning Ichigo to the ground with one in each arm and the last one in his gut. I dropped to the ground from where I had been standing in the air, landing a few feet before Ichigo. He was grinning, "Didn't see that one coming..."

I shrugged just as nonchalantly as he always did, "I didn't think you would, idiot."

"Hey!" He protested.

"Okay!" Rukia yelled before another argument could spawn, "I guess that means you are both warmed up then?"

We both nodded in response.

She sighed, "Good, then let's begin."

Ichigo, not surprisingly, had great difficulty with the Kido above mid-level. They were exponentially more difficult then the Kido I had been doing up until this point. They truly were on another level altogether. I was amazed the control and power Rukia was able to demonstrate each time she showed us what the spell should look like. I had considerably less problems with it then Ichigo, but I was nowhere near home-free as far as learning them went. The incantations, chanting, and positions were no hard to memorize, but the execution of the spells were extremely challenging. Rukia drilled us just like she did the students in the Beginning Kido class back at the Academy whom had difficulty with the first spells, over and over again until it was muscle memory no matter how long it took to get it. I was physically drained, and Ichigo was getting frustrated easily anytime the Kido would blow up in his face or completely miss the targets Rukia pointed out. We sent a Hell Butterfly sometime near dinner to notify Byakuya that we would be late in our return home. Ichigo let us know that he was going to stay with the Shiba Clan because Yoruichi and Kukaku Shiba, the head of that clan, had some news to tell him. Not knowing what the news would be, and not feeling like asking around for a place to stay, Ichigo said that he had accepted their offer and had sent a Hell Butterfly to let them know he would be late as well.

With that out of the way, we had continued on. The snacks my servant had promised came around dinner time, and had been more then enough to satisfy all three of us for the time being. Then it was back to drilling for the spells, seemingly endless repetitions of the same spells over and over again. When I would get a spell down, I would still have to do it when Ichigo couldn't complete the spell. As a result of this, I had completely memorized and honed each spell until Rukia gave up and moved on to the next Hado or Bakudo. Ichigo, probably because this level of control of his spiritual pressure was beyond him for the foreseeable future, couldn't do any spell above Danku, the level 81 Bakudo.

When night fell, Rukia decided to call it, and Ichigo and I shared a sigh of relief as he laid down and I plopped down next to him and used his chest as a pillow. His abs made it a pretty rough pillow, but it was still extremely comfortable. My hands laced behind my head, I looked up into the night sky to watch the stars as Rukia approached, then laid on the side of Ichigo that I wasn't. It was getting a little more chilly then I would have liked, and I pulled up my scarf so that it covered the tip of my nose down and I nuzzled my face into it to relish in the warmth it brought. I mentally thanked Yoruichi for giving me a scarf that was so warm and comfortable. The tekko given to my by Byakuya were still keeping my arms warm. I smirked under my scarf as I felt Ichigo adjust to wrap an arm around Rukia's slender shoulders. I readjusted my bangs so the the three groups of strands covered up my right eye and the top of my cheek scar. With my left eye being the only facial feature that wasn't covered, I gazed up once again into the beautiful night sky and gave a small sigh.

_You seem at relaxed, Master Misami, _Hikari said in the same tone of voice that reflected how I was feeling, peaceful.

_Can you really blame me knowing who I'm with and what I'm doing? _I said, hearing Rukia sigh just as peacefully as I had, it was just that she wasn't looking at the stars.

_I can't that I can, _the sword chuckled.

_The only thing that could make this better was if Brother could come and relax with us. He is always so busy with his duties, it worries me sometimes, _I said, then blinked. Smiling into my scarf, I realized that was the first time I had referred to Byakuya as 'Brother'. It had felt...right.

My sword sounded as if she were nodding, _That is true, your brother does spend a lot of time in his work. He would definitely benefit from a break._

_I agree, _I nodded.

I felt Rukia cuddle up a little more to Ichigo. I was happy that they didn't think that because I was here that they couldn't have a nice moment together under such a breath-taking night sky. The stars twinkled and shimmered against the black back drop of the night. The moon hung among the stars, bathing the hill we rested on in a pale, welcoming light. The wind that had been so cold to me rustled the trees and the grass around us, adding to the soothing and absolutely relaxing feeling of the situation. It was as perfect a time to relax as ever, and all three of us knew it. I heard Rukia and Ichigo mumbling a hushed conversation, then I felt Ichigo's free arm poke my head to get my attention. I turned to him with an expectant look.

"So, you're Rukia's sister now?" He asked, his face a strange mixture of shock and relaxation.

I nodded, "I was adopted today. The Elders allowed it."

"Does that mean that you're Byakuya's sister too?" He said, almost verbally groaning.

I giggled softly and nodded once more, "That's right. I know that you and him aren't exactly the best of friends, but I'm happy with my life right now, okay?"

Rukia was smiling, and so was Ichigo as he spoke, "Okay, okay, I won't make a big deal about it tonight."

"Thank you, Ichigo," I gave him a small grateful smile.

"Sure," he smiled back.

"I know that I'm being the bad guy here," Rukia said in a soft voice that I could barely hear, "But we really should get back to our homes. It's not polite to keep half of the Great Noble Clan Heads awaiting our return so late."

"Oh, don't remind me!" I moaned, covering my eyes with my palms with exaggerated annoyance, "Now I feel bad about stay out with you guys!"

Rukia giggled, "Sorry, but it's getting late. We have to make it back home or Brother will be worried."

At the mention of him, I sighed in defeat, "Fine, fine. But you can't blame me for wanting to stay away from wearing three kimono's in one day."

We all stood, Ichigo passively listening to the conversation. We walked down the hill, Rukia and I continuing to complain/talk about my life in the Kuchiki Manor. We soon found ourselves arguing with Ichigo when he decided to butt into the conversation and say something stupid. Multiple insults later, and many kicks to the shin and sides, Ichigo decided it was a good idea to stop teasing us for the time being. When he verbally said he'd had enough, Rukia and I both smirked in triumph and high-fived. Ichigo, muttering that we were ganging up against him, basically ignored our celebration. When we came to the point that Ichigo had to go his own way to the Shiba Clan's house, we said our good-byes and I gave him a huge hug to the torso. My legs still dangled as I did so.

"Are you happy, Misami?" Rukia asked me suddenly after we neared the Seireitei.

I shot her a surprised look, then cocked my head, "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't have any regrets being adopted into the clan?" Rukia pressed.

"I think of it, actually, as one of the best things that have ever happened to me," I said, "Second only to meeting you and Ichigo."

Rukia smiled, "Really?"

I nodded, "Honest."

* * *

I stood in the Zanjutsu Training grounds, pulling up my scarf so that it covered my face better. The red trousers of the Academy Uniform I wore had a blood stain that stood out slightly. I had gotten that blood on it by allowing myself to get hit by the pommel of Ichigo's sword while we sparred.

Currently, it had been a day since the new Semester had begun. The students still saw me as something of a freak show, but they seemed to know not to make it obvious when they saw me fight. My training with Yoruichi, then Kisuke, then Rukia, and finally Ichigo was showing immensely. I could easily keep up with Ichigo with ease, when before I could sense with his strikes that he was holding back. The strikes that I could barely block, I could now evade on reflex alone. I was grateful that Ichigo was able to teach me so much in the sparring matches we fought in in the trailing week of the break.

I had gotten settled in the Kuchiki Manor, having been given an extra room that over looked my favorite garden in the Kuchiki Manor that was also a short walk from Rukia's room as well. Rukia and I met up with Ichigo everyday to train, since all three of us really had nothing to do other than wait for the break to be over. When it finally was over we simply went back to the Academy. Much to my surprise and delight, Byakuya said that since I was a part of the Kuchiki Clan I was to stay at the manor instead of the dorms of the Academy. I had no objections to that, of course. It just meant that I was just going to have to wake up earlier with Rukia to make it to my classes on time.

I displayed my Shikai to Rukia, Ichigo, and Byakuya on the final day of the break. They all came with me to the same hills that we usually trained, except for Byakuya, of course. They stood in a line and expectantly watched as I drew first my Light blade from my shoulder, then my Shadow blade from my hip. I had held my left sword in a reverse grip and sunk it into the ground, causing the familiar flaming shadows to ooze out of the blade and cover the grasses around me. My other sword was already flaring in its white version of the black flames of spiritual pressure licking at the air. I slammed the pommel of my right sword to the pommel of my left and the two flames of light and darkness had mended as before and engulfed me. When the mixture of black and white spiritual pressure dissipated, and revealed the expressions of my family, I smiled under my scarf. They were all holding expressions of awe, and amazement. Byakuya had a look in his eyes that showed he recognized the potential I held, and that he was impressed. Ichigo was openly surprised, since he had no idea that I was going to show him my Shikai, so he was reasonably shocked. Rukia, however, had a look of pure pride in her eyes that made me just want to smile for the rest of the day.

After that, we had a celebratory feast, hosted by Byakuya, in honor of my "outstanding achievements thus far in my career as a student of the Soul Reaper Academy". After which, Rukia and I left to dining hall to finish packing while Ichigo and Byakuya began to talk about something that sounded rather important. The next morning, Rukia seemed extremely happy the next time she saw Ichigo as we walked to the Academy. I couldn't help but wander what Ichigo must have done to make Rukia be so openly happy.

My classes were now generally a waste of time if I was honest with myself. The only class I was having any trouble with was Hakuda, and I was third in the class, and that was only because I didn't train that as much as the other three disciplines. I was still extremely strong in the art of hand-to-hand combat but I was no Yoruichi Shihoin or Soi Fon. Zanjutsu was a fun class because Kisuke didn't let us try as hard as we wanted because the spiritual pressure of the battle made a lot of the students light headed. Hoho was something I had absolutely had no trouble with commanding first place in now, thanks to a certain Shihoin. Kido, of course, was another art in which I was unmatched unless Rukia started taking the class. The first day back at the Academy consisted of Ichigo and I blowing the competition out of the water without so much as lifting a finger. Now, with every teacher we had telling us to hold back so that we didn't discourage the other students.

Ichigo and I didn't mind holding back, especially Ichigo since he'd been holding back all year. I was too focused on convincing whomever I needed to convince so I could go to the Living World on my first assignment. I wanted to so bad, more and more with each passing day, to see the wondrous things Rukia talked about. I wanted to go to high school like Rukia said she did, go to the places in the Living World she said she went to, and see if I can find even more things in the Living World then Rukia did. It sounded like an amazing place to see and live in, that sometimes I found myself daydreaming about it. It had become something of a habit to do so. I would have gotten in trouble if Ichigo hadn't been there for me and shaken me from my musings before the teacher knew I wasn't listening.

Now, it was the day after the first of the second semester and I was sparring with Ichigo as the class watched us. Kisuke was using us as an example for defensive combat, with Ichigo as the aggressor and me as the defender. I was only using my Light Blade, with my remaining sword remaining cloaked in a Bakudo at my hip. I parried his blows, redirecting his momentum expertly so that he couldn't cut me and his strikes only bit into the floor. I let my guard down, partially due to arrogant thinking that I could simply use reflex to fight someone as strong as Ichigo, and Ichigo had capitalized on it. That capitalization was the pommel of his sword to my cheek, which drew blood that had splashed onto my trousers. Thankfully, the tekko that Byakuya had given me were not stained. But the hem of my scarf had been stained with two blood drops before I healed it with a rudimentary Kaido to stop it from bleeding. My cheek was swollen, a bruise had formed on my face. But the sparring match continued, since Ichigo knew that something like that was going to stop me from trying my hardest to win the match. The class gasped as I parried another of Ichigo's blows and counterattacked with an elbow to the face. Since I had to jump up to reach Ichigo's cheek, I was forced to spin in the air to add more force to the blow. When it contacted, I knew I drew at least a little blood from Ichigo's grunt of pain. As soon as I landed the full force of the strike, I Flashed away and reappeared ten feet in front of Ichigo with my sword before me in a ready position.

We were about to go another round, but Kisuke's casual sounding voice caught the room's attention, "That will be enough, you two, you can take a break. Everyone, try and do exactly as Miss Kuchiki demonstrated."

"Yes, sir!" The class chanted, grabbing unnamed Zanpakuto and got into their positions.

Ichigo go and I found a vacant spot on the ground and sat down gingerly, leaning against the wall as we sighed from exhaustion. Ichigo chuckled, "I don't think I'll be able to get used to you being called a Kuchiki, Misami."

I grinned under my scarf, "Why's that?"

"Because I can still remember how shy you were when we first met," Ichigo shrugged, taking a drink of water from a small cup.

"Hey, I wasn't that bad," I halfheartedly retorted.

"Oh, yes, you were," Ichigo insisted, "You were in a fetal position on Rukia's bed, after all."

"Shut up!" I said in a complaining tone, socking Ichigo in the shoulder.

The hit seemed to hurt far more then I intended it to, and Ichigo seemed to recoil from my hit, "What was that for?!"

"Why are you yelling, idiot?" I giggled, "I barely even hit you!"

"No, you punched me as hard as you could, midget!" Ichigo snapped, rubbing his shoulder.

"I am not short! I'm at a perfectly average height!" I said, getting irritated now and yelling with the same volume and tone Ichigo was using.

"I don't see you getting any taller, midget," Ichigo said, smirking and patting my head.

That earned him a hard jab in the side, and a growl from me. We continued on like that for the entire class period, and it bleed over into Hoho. The teacher had us Flash a thousand laps around the Academy grounds because of our bickering. It only gave us more time to ourselves to argue, really, but by the time we were back in the Hoho room two things had past us: our arguing and the class. We went to Hakuda, and sparred the entire class while the others learned how to perfect a round house kick and then go into a knee-head butt combo. We honed the skills we were starting to get down, using our own techniques. Mine was an adaption of my Zanjutsu technique, where I used spinning and torquing my body to make my strikes both faster and harder while being able to block on coming attacks. The end result of my technique was that I looked like a tornado of strikes, or blades in the case of Zanjutsu. Ichigo tended to use large blows in quick succession with a combination of even larger strikes to hit me when I was waiting for the barrage from the smaller strikes. It was always an interesting fight to see when Ichigo and I sparred. I couldn't wait until we could fight with our Shikai.

Finally Kido class was here. After which it would be time for us to go home, back to the Kuchiki Manor. I rode on Ichigo's back, like I always did, peeking over his shoulder. We entering the familiar Kido training grounds, the class already being driven into lines by Rukia. They were practicing Hado No. 33 today, Rukia's signature spell. I myself found I liked it much better then what everyone else was using, which was Hado No. 31: Shakkaho. Some of the students who were getting it were already proficient in the discipline, and only needed to be given a few tries in order to successfully, though not flawlessly, execute the Kido. There were others that were extremely well versed in using Shakkaho, but found this spell to be harder to accomplish. Then there were two other groups, ones that could do the spell but just barely and with a great number of tries, and the ones that were already far past this stage and had absolutely no trouble in doing the spell. Being in Advanced classes in every discipline was extremely taxing, and left me no chance to really rest until I got back home. Sure, half of my classes I could sleep in the class and the teachers, one a friend and the other my sister, would only ask me not to rest on the floor in stead of scolding me. The other two, the teachers seemed to despise me with a passion, ridiculing me and punishing me and Ichigo for the smallest infractions of the rules. I dared not complain, but then again, their punishments were really nothing compared to the training I went through with Ichigo, Rukia, and Yoruichi.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called, "Go ahead and get in the third line with her!"

"Fine!" Ichigo called, redirecting to where he was requested.

I hopped off his shoulder and down to the ground next to him and sat quietly. I drew up my scarf subconsciously, covering the tip of my nose down. We watched throughout the class as people had varying levels of success in the spell, while we ourselves executed flawlessly. The class flashed by as we merely waited for it to be over. When it finally was, I was about ready to take a nap from boredom. The students were all tired from a long training session from my sister, so they didn't notice me at all when I slipped out of the classroom right as the bell gonged for the end of the day. Ichigo had said that he was going to walk Rukia home, blushing as he thought of a walk alone with Rukia. I saw the look in his eyes, and knew that he would rather have a walk alone with his girlfriend without worrying about me being the third wheel. I had told him I'd go straight home then, to give them some private time together. He had smiled, asking over and over if I really was okay with it. I had just nodded, every other time he asked I would make a joke or a hint about him and Rukia's relationship, to which everyone he would blush and tell me to shut up.

The air was so fresh today that I decided to walk some of the way instead of using my Flash Step. Hell butterflies fluttered in that same air, black dots in the beautiful blue back drop as they flew to their destination. I looked around, seeing that I was alone for the time being. I raked a had through my bangs, readjusting them so that they didn't cover my right eye anymore. My Academy uniform was going to have to be washed again, to rid it of the blood stain. I was going to have to explain that both the the servants whom would wash it, and my brother once he heard that I got blood on my trousers. And as soon as I told him that it was Ichigo, I would then have to kindly request that he not take any drastic physical retaliation upon the carrot top for hurting me in a sparring match. At least that's what I assumed was going to happen. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I was used to much worse then trying to convince my brother to at least restrain himself until he has a viable reason to spar with Ichigo as a request from me. There was always the chance that Byakuya did not honor my request, in which case I wouldn't be offended in the slightest because I would look at it as an act of protectiveness instead of rudeness, and then go after Ichigo while he was walking home alone with Rukia. When I snapped out of my daze, I found that I was already in the part of the Seireitei that was near the Kuchiki Manor.

Soul Reapers from all Squad were milling about as usual, going about their duties and chores for their Captains. I saw, through an open door, some of the Eleventh Squad sparring with bokkens, sweat staining their clothes and coating their brows as they grunted with each strong strike. There was a bald one among them, with some red eye make up on the outside corner of each eye. He was beating everyone with ease, but holding back immensely seemingly to make the fight more interesting. This was something I saw almost every seated officer and above in the Eleventh doing, and it confused me as to why they would want to do that. Then I remembered the adrenaline rush I feel during each and every fight I get into, and how amazing it feels to release all that energy I have inside me and my Zanpakuto, and guessed that for them, the soldiers of the Eleventh, it was merely that on a much bigger scale.

Tearing my gaze away from the training, I found that the way to the Kuchiki Manor was almost upon me, all I would have to do was take a right, skip three turns, then a left, skip five turns until I came up in a dead end. After that I would simply just jump over the wall and the Kuchiki Manor would be a block before me. I was thankful that I knew my way around the Seireitei as well as I did, since having to ask for assistance wasn't an easy task for me given my shyness around anyone I didn't know. As I felt myself go on auto-pilot for the rest of the walk back to the Manor, I let myself reflect on what I've accomplished so far. I had gained so much strength in the past seven months. I had trained with the best Zanjutsu Masters, Hoho Masters, Kido Experts, and Hakuda Masters in the Soul Society. I had taken my Spiritual Pressure that had begun as about the level of a low seated officer in raw strength, and refined it to where it was at the level of a Third Seat. If I continued on the path I was on, I saw no reason why I wouldn't become a Lieutenant within ten years or so. I wanted to be Ichigo's Lieutenant, but I would want to be Rukia's if she were given the position of Captain. I knew that there was a Captain's Haori waiting for Ichigo to graduate the Academy, and I had no doubts that he would then try and get Rukia to be his Lieutenant. If that was the case, then I wanted to be his Third Seat so I could be with both of them. But I didn't know the chances of that happening, or if Ichigo even wanted me to be in his squad. I wanted to be in the Thirteenth Squad just as badly, because they had jurisdiction over Ichigo's home of Karakura Town. I wanted to see the Human World where Ichigo and Rukia first met, where they had fought so many of the battles in their lives. It would make me feel so much closer to them, like I could somehow be apart of that past.

"Who goes there?!" Boomed the voice of the guardsman that stood watch over the gates of my home.

"Misami Kuchiki," I softly called back, my childishly small voice barely audible compared to the deep bass of the guard's.

"You may enter, Miss Kuchiki," The guard said, the doors swinging open, "Would you like for the maids to arrange for you to relax in your favorite garden? You look weary."

I turned to him, sighing as I realized how tired I must look, "How thoughtful of you, sir...yes, I would like that very much. Could you ask that they also set aside a kimono on my bed so I may change?"

"Of course, milady," The guard said. Then he got on one knee, making it to were he was only a head taller then me instead of towering over my small frame, and whispered softly into my ear, "Ma'am, why is it that you just now referred to me as 'sir' even when I said that I was not worthy of such an honor?"

I gave him a small smile, such a rare occurrence for ordinary people to see coming from me, and whispered into his ear, "Maybe because I think you are worthy of my respect, since you so readily accepted me when I arrived. Why shouldn't I address you like that? You are a grown man, and a strong warrior, right?"

I actually ended up making the guard, whom was a monster of a man with a giant pole weapon, to blush, "I-I don't know what to say, ma'am..."

"How about you express your feelings in getting what I requested done? As you suggested, I am in need of a rest, and that would make my day so much easier if I could do so," I said, looking into his eyes.

He nodded earnestly, smiling at me as he stood to his full height once more and reminded me of how small I was, "Right away, Ma'am!"

"Thank you, again," I said softly, continuing on my way as servants curtly rushed ahead of me to prepare my kimono.

I walked through the halls of my new home, seeing the whole manor in a new light since realizing that this was after all where I would be living for the rest of the foreseeable future. The servants had really taken to me, each one deeply honored by how I treated them. I imagined that they thought I was going to be something of a bratty kid that they would have to babysit once they heard I was from Hanging Dog. Every time I used the manners that Rukia had drilled into me all those nights seemed to surprise each and everyone of the servants that I spoke to. They were honestly shocked at how I acted, regardless of my background and age. It was strange, considering my age, to be referred to so formally by men and women that were so much older and more experienced with living in a noble household then I was. I had to adjust first from wearing the same dirty kimono all the time, to wearing an Academy uniform that was always clean, to wearing up to four or five expensive kimonos everyday. It was amazing to even me how little time it took for me to fall into a routine, but I knew that if the servants that hadn't helped me I would have had an extremely much harder time adjusting to third new way of life. That was also one of the many reasons why I returned the respect they gave me. Another was that I want to have their real respect, not the kind that came with being a Kuchiki, a sort of automatic and forced respect. Now, they seemed to enjoy carrying out my requests in some strange way, though they probably wouldn't admit it aloud.

I purposely walked slower then my usual brisk pace to give them all the time they would need to set it up on my lush bed. I walked out on the the platforms that bordered my favorite garden in all the Kuchiki Manor. The platforms were six or so inches above the grasses of the garden. There was a small hill that was almost perfectly rounded except for an indention in the west face of it. At the foot of that indention was a pond filled with beautiful fish and perfectly straight raked lines of sand at its edges. There was a small bridge that crossed over the pond, which as shaped like a sort of bean or kidney. There was a group of camellias dotting the edges of the sand rows. Butterflies floated around the area, touching down for moments to drink the flowers nectar. The garden was my favorite for three reasons. The first was that it was the most peaceful place during the day and was always receiving the Sun's rays, and warming my small frame whenever I could lay down on the side of the hill. The second was that it was even more relaxing at night, the stars shining brightly, the breeze let in at just the right amount so that I wasn't chilled by it. The third was that Byakuya, upon finding that this was my favorite, gave me the only room that had a door opening to it besides the hallway I had just entered through. He had told me that it was, for all intensive purposes, my own garden. The servants who were in charge of keeping the garden pristine, whom I had also had the opportunity to talk with them and earn their respect, also knew that it was one of the few places where I found it easy to relax when I was weary and made sure that it was always in the best possible condition for me. I was deeply grateful to them, thanking them over and over again for maintaining the garden for my sake and not for the money that they earned in doing so.

As I took my gaze off of the garden, I saw that the servants that had rushed ahead of me were standing at the sides of the door. I walked over there quietly, looking with childish curiosity if I cold see what kimono they had chosen, but the door was closed to my room and I couldn't see it. As I neared the door to my room, the servants bowed and said in unison, "Good evening, Milady. How was your day at the Academy?"

I stopped and gave them a weary look, "To be honest, I found it really taxing. My instructors must dislike my new status, because they made me run around the Academy a thousand times today..."

The servant to the right of my door blinked, her hands fly to her mouth as she gasped, "A thousand laps around the Academy building, Milady?"

The second servant looked with pity in her eyes as she looked down at me, "No wonder you are so tired. Please, we have your kimono ready."

"Thank you so much, ma'am," I said the the second servant, then turned to the first as I went into my room, "Could you please make sure that my trousers get washed before tomorrow? I got a a few drops of blood on them while I was fighting with Ichigo."

The first servant nodded, "Of course, Milady. Is there anything else I can get you?"

I thought about it then shook my head slightly, "No, thank you, ma'am. I really just want to relax, and rest."

The servant blushed at my calling her 'ma'am', "Then I'll send for the laundry maid right away, Milady. I hope you can regain your strength."

I smiled slightly at her, "Thank you very much, ma'am. I'm grateful for your help."

She herself smiled, and rushed out to fetch the maid in charge of washing Rukia and I's clothes. I turned around to find the second servant waiting patiently by my bedside with the folded kimono in her hands. After I changed into the kimono, which was the same beautiful blue one that I wore when the Elders made their surprise visit the day before it was scheduled. I put my scarf on with it, wrapping it around my neck and positioning it as I always did so that it covered the bottom part of my face. I thanked the servant who helped me into it with a bow and asked her kindly to leave my room and take a short break. She nodded, and left with a bow. When she shut the door behind her, I sat down on my perfectly made bed with my two swords in my lap. Normally when I relaxed in my garden, I would leave them on a katana stand that was already mounted to the walls of my room when Byakuya assigned it to me. But today, I wanted to try something that would kill two birds with one stone, as they say. I stood, a sword in each hand, and walked at a leisurely pace to the door of my room that lead to the garden. I quietly opened the door, looking back at my bed. I had left the Academy Uniform I had just shed as neatly folded as I could on my cover sheets for the laundry maid to pick up, asking that the servant that was with me not interfere so that the maid would know that I had tried to do something on my own. Closing the door behind me, I walked at the same pace to the bridge that crossed over the pond. With the way the garden was situated, the bridge attached to the platform, and its other end connected to a small gravel path that lead to the west side of the hill, and the nook in which I rested. I crossed over the bridge, and followed the short gravel path and then sat down softly on the lush grass of the hill. I gently placed my swords on my small lap and closed eyes.

_Hello, Misami, _My sword said in a kind voice, _You called?_

_Yeah, _I responded, _Thought I could talk with you, since I haven't really gotten the chance to with how busy I've been. I'm really sorry if you feel that I've been ignoring you, Hikari. _

The sword laughed laughed, _It's okay, you don't have to apologize, Misami. I understand that I am not the only thing the Soul Society that requires your attention after all._

_Thank you, Hikari, _I smiled to myself, _I honestly was worried. Now, how have you been holding up?_

_I'm doing fine, all things considered, _My sword said, _It has been a while since there have been anyone other than Ichigo or Rukia that have given us a challenge, huh? _

_That is true, but we haven't even graduated from the Academy yet, _I said.

_Right, _my Zanpakuto said, _Well I hope that you can spar with someone other then Rukia and Ichigo that makes for an interesting fight._

_I wonder who it will be, _I said.

_So do I, _Hikari said.

I talked with my Zanpakuto until sundown, while I calmly listened to the breeze brush through the garden. When sundown turned to twilight, then into the darkness of night, I opened my eyes as if I had been sleeping and looked around. The maid was just returning with my clean uniform, a worried cook with a meal in his hands asking for where I was. I heard the maid tell the cook to put to food in my room, since it was around this time that I returned to my room to sleep. Of course, at that moment I rose to my feet, a sword in each hand as I followed the gravel path, crossed the bridge and onto the platform that bordered the garden. I walked around to where I found the door to my room and slid it to the side. I was pleased to see a set of sleeping garments resting in perfect crisp folds on my immaculately made bed. I closed my door behind me and began to undo the kimono that was wrapped around my body. I took off my scarf, folded it neatly, and placed it on my pillow. I squirmed out of it and picked it up off the ground. I folded it in the best way I could and placed it on a small nightstand near my bed. I looked down at my body, taking of my under kimono. In just my underwear I turned to a floor length mirror, looking at myself from head to toe. I had bruises, cuts that have taken their sweet time in mending, and scars. My cheek had stopped swelling around Hakuda class, the pain ebbing away by the end of Kido class. My arms and legs were bruised from using them as weapons in Hakuda, though I didn't notice because I had developed a sort of tolerance for that pain. I was as thin as I could be and also as healthy as I could be, toned muscles showing through my pale skin as a result of the intensive training I had undergone in the past eight months. I ran a hand through my hair, brushing my bangs up so that they didn't cover my right eye or my scar anymore.

My scar, the one that was parallel to my jawline, dead center on my cheek that was maybe a centimeter or less above that jawline. It was coarse, much more rigid than my otherwise smooth skin. In light of the fact that when I looked into the mirror with the same expression Kuchiki's wore, what I wore, and used that look with my startling blue eyes, I myself found the sight to be strangely scary. I kept my scar hidden because I didn't want attention drawn to me, I didn't want everyone to have even more reasons to look at me like I was so much different than them. But the look that became of wearing my hair over the scar, and using a scarf to cover it up even more, made me look like the shy girl I really was. I was quiet when I wasn't around Byakuya, Rukia, or Ichigo, acting exactly like I did when I lived in Hanging Dog. My soft voice only added to the image.

My white hair was still all the way down to my back, and tended to be dramatically blown around by the wind. I hadn't cut it since a century ago, having no means to or the need. I liked it long, anyhow. I sometimes had a group of strands that would fall right in front of my right eye or in between my eyes, but I always would tuck them behind my ear. That also only happened often when I was trying to keep my hair from covering my face.

I had not gotten any taller, even with my body passing finally on to the physical age of eleven, and it irked me to even think about it. I was so tired that I found my body already slipping into the sleeping garments and in the covers of my bed. And before I could even think about it, I was fast asleep and dreaming of me and Rukia shopping for Chappies.


	10. A World Of Mortals

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Here it is! Another chapter that reached the 10k mark within two days of the last one! I hope that you all will enjoy it and continue to follow the story! **

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! That is true, Misami accidentally won over then entire servant population she has had a conversation with! Not too bad for an eleven year old, huh? As for the Shikai, I really had a lot of fun coming up with both that and her Bankai(Which will happen sometime down the road!), so I'm happy so see that you enjoy it too! I can't wait to hear from you again!**

**Thank you, Chilly292, for reviewing! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the complement! It made he really happy to read just that part of your review! I'm glad that my mix of humor, and my personal favorite Bleach shipping, has made the story more enjoyable for you! As for the Ikkaku spar, consider it done as a token of my gratitude for your support! Also, I'm happy that you liked the description as well! I eagerly await your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only my OCs, the plot, and the idea. **

"What?!" I blurted, instantly covering my mouth as I did so. The Kuchiki representative and the chairman of the Academy looked at me with similar expressions of confusion, as if they couldn't understand why I hadn't heard them the first time I had been told the shocking news. I really haven't even registered why I was even in the chairman's office to begin with.

I was whisked away from Zanjutsu class by the chairman's secretary, even though I was in the middle of a really good spar with Kisuke while he demonstrated how to deal with a duel wielding opponent. The woman seemed nervous, but I didn't know whether it was because I was a Kuchiki or if she was pressed for time. Maybe it was both, I figured, since she walked at a brisk pace while trying to seem more regal than she was. When we arrived at the office, I found one of the Elders from a two weeks ago. One week had passed since I had returned to the Academy, and I was already in a routine that was as comfortable as I could think of. The Elder looked at me with a not too well hidden look of distaste, marking him in the minority of Kuchiki's that I was not in favor with. The chairman looked with a polite smile and weary eyes at my small frame as I stood before his desk next to his secretary. He had asked me to sit in the open chair, next to the one that was now occupied by the Elder. They had engaged in small talk while the chairman ruffled through some papers in search of some seemingly important documents. I chose not to speak, not really feeling all that comfortable and encouraged with the presence of the uptight and nearly sneering Kuchiki Elder. I nervously adjusted my tekko, and my scarf, as I awaited until the small talk to end and the real reason I was here to be revealed.

"You will be graduating early, Miss Kuchiki," The chairman had said, "And you have been offered the position of Fourth Seat of the Thirteenth Squad effective immediately after your graduation."

I couldn't hear him past "You will be graduating early..." and had asked for him to repeat himself in an extremely polite manner. When he honored my request, I had temporarily lost my composure due to shock. Now they stared at me, interested in my reaction as an eleven year old girl upon hearing I was getting a position that most would never reach. My reaction was nothing, a blank, indifferent expression that would have made anyone wander if they had imagined the outburst I had just had. At least on the outside it was. My eyes betrayed how I was feeling, but none of the adults here knew that the shade of blue my eyes were colored was coordinated with my emotions. Right now I was both confused and elated. I was wandering why I would be graduating just after semester point, regardless of my skills in the four disciplines. I was ecstatic that I was both graduating early, and that I was going to be in Rukia's squad. Well, at least until she was transferred to whatever squad Ichigo got, which was soon to be the third, fifth, or ninth. No matter what squad it was, I was hoping that I would at least enjoy being in the Thirteenth until she left. I highly doubted I would be transferred to another squad for the sake of being with my sister or Ichigo, so I immediately resigned myself to the fact that it was unlikely at best. Inwardly, I was smiling, all things considered.

"Fourth Seat?" I asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, Miss Kuchiki," The chairman nodded, "We just need to have both your's and an Elder of your clan sign the forms that will allow us to discharge you with full marks, and a certification that you did, in fact, graduate this Academy."

"I understand, sir," I said, nodding. He placed the documents before me and a quill dipped in fine ink. I looked over to the Elder, whom nodded permission, and then turned back to the document. I picked up the quill in a small hand and signed in elegant calligraphy "Misami Tsukino Kuchiki". I slid the documents back to the chairman, whim nodded his thanks. The Elder and the chairman continued on to sigh the same document below my signature. When it was all said and done, as they say, I was kindly dismissed from the chairman's office. The current class I would have been in was Hakuda, but I knew that I had to report to the Thirteenth Division. Quietly slipping into a Flash Step, I raced towards the Thirteenth Squad barracks.

_Congratulations, Misami,_ Hikari's voice sounded genuinely proud as the wind whipped my white hair behind me.

I stood on top of a pole, a pole that was in line with a number of other similar poles connected by thick lines that seemed to buzz with energy, with the night sky stretching endlessly around me. The moon hung in the sky, lonely against the back drop of black interrupted by innumerable stars. A soft breeze washed through the air, my long white hair flowing with it. I wore my bangs up and the top edge of my scarf only touched my bottom lip, leaving my scar exposed to blind eyes. I had modified my Shihakusho since arriving to the Thirteenth Squad, shortening my sleeves so that they were a little higher then the Kuchiki tekko I wore. I liked the freedom of movement that came with the change, and had plans to do the same to my lower body some way or another but promised myself I wouldn't make further changes until I got another promotion. I had decided I was going to stop trying to hide my scar from everyone with my hair and scarf. But in the three weeks that I had worn my scarf and hair in that way, I had developed numerous habits that required my scarf to be worn so that it covered at least my mouth and chin with the top edge. The tails of the scarf, I noticed, flowed with the wind along with my white hair. The Soul Pager in my small hand buzzed with another order.

I looked out over the streets of Karakura, thinking to myself how wonderful and strangely beautiful this town was. I enjoyed the beauties of the Soul Society, and the Seireitei, but there was something about the twinkling man made lights that came from strange posts which held the sources of this light high so that they illuminated the streets. They buzzed with the same energy as the wires attached to the pole I balanced on currently. I took out the Soul Pager with a sigh, unable to stop myself from getting slightly irritated that the city was such a hot spot for weak hollows I could kill out of reflex that interrupted my time enjoying the nighttime spectacle. The dimmed screen of the Pager, which I noticed looked like some of the devices humans below talked into and referred to as "Phones", shone on my small features as I flipped it open to read the new orders. It had a small map attachment that indicated where the orders were to be carried out, and short and to the point phrases.

-These Orders are for: Thirteenth Squad Fourth Seat Officer, Misami Kuchiki-  
-Relatively weak Hollow detected in the Western Quadrant of Karakura. Orders: Exterminate and purify.-

On the screen was the date, time, and all other semi-important information that I didn't really need to know in order to complete my mission. I pushed parts of my spiritual pressure into my leg muscles and joints, tensing as I leaned forward. Just before I lost footing on the small surface of the top of the pole, I released all that pent up energy and power, pushing off in a burst of speed that landed me onto an adjacent rooftop. I continued to execute these long, fast jumps so that I could make it the the Hollow before it could have its fill of human souls. I saw countless humans dotting the landscape, milling around as they completed their midnight tasks. I saw some running with sweat beading on their brow, walking with dogs on leashes next to them, holding bags full of their latest purchases, all completely and utterly aware that they had me watching over them and protecting them from equally invisible monsters that wished to devour their very souls. I didn't really mind that it was such a thankless job, that I didn't truly get a return on my work except for the pay grade of a Fourth Seat in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Their peaceful expressions, not the paranoid and terrified ones that would exist if they knew how in danger they could be at any moment, was thanks enough in its own way.

The sorrowful, almost moaning shriek of a Hollow, followed very closely by the almost poisonous presence of its spiritual pressure, shook me out of my musings and reminded me to keep those thoughts at bay until my work was complete. The Hollow was busting through the wall of a building, which caused the single man in the building to yelp in surprise. The building was a two story home, with nice white walls and a vehicle of sorts that looked much like a cart, but made of metal and glass. The Hollow was just as tall as the building, with a oval shaped mask that was formed into a permanent, devilish smile. It had long, lanky limbs, with the hands ending in club like fists and the legs in wide, flat feet. It had green skin, with black markings on the left side of its mask. It was a very strange Hollow, but not the strangest I'd seen so far. I had this strange feeling about it though, as if this was not all to the Hollow. But I shook it off as my right hand flew to my shoulder sword, the one at my waist currently being hidden by a Kyokko. With one last push from the roof top from across the street, I flew up into the air with my sword raised and pointed at the center of the Hollow's mask.

I was behind it, and did not have to try hard to restrain myself from foolishly announcing my attack with some unnecessary battle cry while I struck. As I came down, I brought my blade down with all my strength. I had unconsciously closed my eyes when I attacked. When I opened my eyes, it was just in time to see a club like fist slam into my stomach with surprising power. I choked on my own blood as the punch forced me to cough up that blood. I flew backwards, slamming into a small store across the street. When the dust settled, I found myself in a pile of magazines with woman wearing extremely unbecoming clothing and posing in very suggestive ways. I ignored the pictures and stood up. I gripped my sword slightly tighter then before, racking my mind for a possible explanation as to how that Hollow had not only survived, but had counter attacked with great vigor.

"A Soul Reaper, eh?" The Hollow said in a labored, drawn-out sounding voice, "I've always enjoyed my meat in smaller portions, but you are already bite-sized!"

His strange, empty laughter boomed through the streets of the city. I growled in irritation that even Hollows would make fun of my height, standing up with my sword in hand as I glared at the monster. There was a series of thundering sounds that turned out to be its footsteps as it came towards me, chuckling as it drew nearer.

"Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!" I yelled with moderate volume, the pale fire rushing out of my hand and into the Hollow.

It groaned and shrieked in surprise and pain as the strike impacted his chest. Then, just as the spell dissipated, I felt a rush of power. It was a foul smelling, if power could have a smell, presence that came from none other then the Hollow. I gasped under my breath in surprise at this sudden rise in power. I grit my teeth, thinking of how he could be this strong when he had seemed no more powerful then the average Hollow. I knew that I had Gentei Rein, the Soul-Limiting Symbol, placed upon me. The symbol of the Thirteenth Squad, the Snow Drop that represented hope, printed on my left shoulder and limiting my power by eighty percent. I had this restriction because it turned out that I had the spiritual pressure equal to that of a Lieutenant. Another restriction was that I was using only half of my powers since I was only using one sword and sealing the other in a Kyokko. With that information in mind, this Hollow was about a tenth the strength I was normally in the Soul Society since he was equal with me now and all my restrictions. That put me at a disadvantage because I was injured slightly, and he had much more physical strength and height then I did. I was going to have to make as much use of my Flash Step and Zanjutsu as I could. I was going to have to-

A flash of white. I blinked and tried to make sure I was seeing correctly. A high school aged boy stood in front of me, shielding me with his body. He wore glasses and had his bangs evenly parted down the middle. He wore square shaped glasses, and seemed to have a habit of adjusting them. The clothes he wore were strange, in that they seemed extremely old-fashioned. He wore a very short cape, which was as white as the entire outfit was. The clothes were interrupted by accents of blue. There was an interesting heirloom bracelet that he let dangle from his cuffed sleeve's wrist.

"Get out of here!" I yelled, "You're in danger!"

"I think I'll be just fine, Soul Reaper," The boy said, sounding rather hostile as he referred to me, "I think it was you that was in danger, regardless of the situation."

I growled and walked over to his side, then looked at him, "I'd like for you to stand aside, sir. It is my duty to protect this city. It would be an insult to my honor, both as a Soul Reaper and as a Noble, if you were to take away this enemy from me."

He looked down at me, since was of course taller then me, conflicting emotions in his eyes, "Did they not tell you that I am also given charge of this city's well-being?"

"Who are you?" I asked, remembering that the two third seats of the Thirteenth Squad had, in fact, mentioned a select group of people I could think of as allies.

"Uryuu Ishida," He answered, rather quickly, as we both dodged an attack from the Hollow.

The name checked out, "Alright, then we will have to work together for the time being."

"That will not be necessary," Uryuu said in an irritated tone, light exploding from the hand that had his bracelet on. The light, which felt like spirit particles, then formed into a strange, compass like bow.

Before I could protest, an endless barrage of arrows exploded out of the bow and surged towards the Hollow. The Hollow gave another screech of agony in its eerie sounding howl, before it disappeared in a cloud of blackened ash-like dust. Uryuu turned, and began to leave. I let him go, thinking that it was best to just keep my mouth shut before I found myself saying things that were wrong and unbecoming. I didn't wish to anger this Uryuu, since he was an ally, and that he already seemed to hate either me or Soul Reapers as a whole.

I sighed and turned away from the boy as he vanished behind a corner down the block. I walked to Kisuke's shop, since he told me I could stay there unless I could find other accommodations. I picked up the Gigai Kisuke had given me for free, and thanked him before I left. Kisuke had already made plans, he told me, that I was going to stay with Ichigo's family. Kisuke said that he had to make a trip to the Soul Society and he didn't know when he was going to make it back. I merely took the information without showing much emotion as Kisuke said his good-byes and stepped through the Senkaimon soon after. I looked to the faces of Kisuke's subordinates, all of whom seemed to wish for me to make my leave so that they could got back to sleep. It was still about three in the morning. I sighed and politely bowed and said my farewells, leaving the Urahara Shop in my wake as I made my way to the Kurosaki House.

It was so strange to be in this Gigai. I felt sluggish, and heavy. I was wearing a school uniform, with a dark gray pleaded skirt, white button down shirt that had a limp red bow tied around its collar, and a dress jacket that was the same grey as the skirt. I wore black knee high socks with dress shoes on me feet. My white hair was flowing behind me, shimmering in the pale moonlight. I still had my scarf though, which made the new outfit a little more bearable, and I pulled the hem up son it covered my mouth. My shoes announced my every footstep with a deadened clicking sound. It was strange wearing a skirt, but I quickly go used to it since the kimono I had worn for a century prior to entering the Soul Society was so tattered the it only reached down to my knees. I walked calmly through the streets of Karakura, looking up into the sky while I appreciated the new view that I was getting thanks to not being able to jump from rooftop to rooftop in one simple step. There were cats prowling in the shadows, dogs chewing on trash spilled from their cans. It was strange, this Living World, with all its technology and architecture, the skyline of immense buildings in the far distance. When I first arrived, about twelve hours ago, I spent an hour simply gasping at all the new and exciting things that the Human World seemed to have in abundance. Food that was pre-packaged and preserved, man made lights that were far more bright and powerful than candles, and devices that people could use to talk to each other as though they were standing there in person. I could not believe it all, and was so astonished that I didn't feel the strange heaviness that came with the power restriction that I had surprisingly qualified for. I was still being amazed currently, as I saw, through the window of a person's home, a screen that was displaying moving pictures that seemed to be corresponding to the movements of the person that was motioning to it. I didn't even realize that I had made it to Ichigo's house until, by a lucky coincidence, a man was shouting in a exaggeratedly pained voice while he rambled on about his little girl hitting puberty.

I shook my head, thinking that the voice fit the description Ichigo gave of his father perfectly. I turned and continued until I was before the door of the Kurosaki Family. I felt like I barely stood taller then the door knob, though I knew I was only an inch or two shorter than Rukia was, as I gingerly knocked on the door.

The ramblings of the man soon stopped as he seemed to realize who was knocking, and a teenage girl's bored sounding voice sounded soon after, "She's awfully late, is she?"

"Well, my son did say that she was like Rukia in more ways then one!" The man said in a jolly sounding tone as the sounds of his footsteps grew louder as he approached the door.

The big door opened up to reveal a tall man with spiked up dark hair, and a big grin, "So you're my fourth daughter?"

I blinked, cocking my head to the side, "Fourth...daughter?"

I had been expecting an intimidating figure that was at least as scowling as Ichigo. I was expecting to have to bow to avoid his strong gaze instead of going through the same psychological warfare that I had to go through with meeting and interacting with my brother at first. To have to use my stone cold gaze, void of all emotion, to make sure that Ichigo's father didn't think I was weak. But this man seemed to be the polar opposite of Ichigo Kurosaki. He grinned with unstoppable vigor, his excitement was contagious. He was looking down at me with an open-arms expression, making me feel more at home immediately. He welcomed me in with a smile, to where I was met with the sight of two twin girls that looked familiar in their own ways. One looked like Mr. Kurosaki, with her dark hair, and looked like Ichigo with a heavily toned down I-don't-really-care-what-you-think look. The other had ginger hair that looked like the picture of the woman in a giant poster on the wall, with the same welcoming smile that her father was showing me right now.

"Please let me introduce you to my lovely daughters. Karin, and Yuzu," Mr. Kurosaki beamed as he motioned first to the dark haired one, then to the ginger haired one. They both waved when their name was called.

I nodded in place of a bow in greeting, "Nice to meet you! My name is Misami Kuchiki."

Karin looked confused, "Are you related to Rukia Kuchiki at all?"

I laughed, "She's my sister-in-law. She might as well be my real sister, though. How did you know about her?"

"Well, for one she stayed at our house for a long while," Karin said, and then added with a sly grin, "And they are dating after all."

"How did you know that?" I said, still smiling under my scarf.

"Every time we mentioned how cute they were together, he would blush so bad," Karin chuckled, while Yuzu and Mr. Kurosaki seemed to be using all their self control to keep from busting out laughing.

"Oh," I started to laugh then, glad that I found that it wasn't hard to show emotion around these humans, as if they were some long lost relatives.

"Well, seeing as my daughters have stayed up to meet you as you arrived, I suggest you all get to sleep. You all have school after all!" Mr. Kurosaki grinned, adding in a yawn for good measure.

"School?" I raised an eyebrow, "I didn't enroll in any school, Mr. Kurosaki."

"Please, call me Isshin, Misami! Or Dad!" He exclaimed, "And as for the school, Kisuke and I believe that it will make it easier for you if you were to attend the local high school and made a few friends here! That's why he gave you that uniform when you arrived."

I looked down at the grey suit jacket and skirt, then back up at the man, "I see. Well, it would be rude of me not accept wouldn't it? Okay, I'll go, but don't you think that I am a bit young to attend high school?"

Isshin looked me up and down, "True, but you will show that you belong in high school just like you did in the last school you went to. Right?"

I smiled, "Right!"

"It's settled then! Alright, my lovely daughters! Off to bed!" Isshin seemed far too energetic for it to be past midnight.

I followed Yuzu and Karin to the empty room in the house, which actually was Ichigo's room. They gave me, though with a yawn, a set of yellow pajamas, spotted orange-red. I thanked them and turned to enter the room. Closing the door behind me, I walked into the room of Ichigo Kurosaki. I looked around, finding nothing much to look at, with the small desk, and plain bed. I placed the pajamas on the desk and began to undress on autopilot. I unwrapped my scarf from my neck, untied the bow, and took off the suit jacket. I placed those three things on the desk, next to the folded pajamas. Then I took off my shoes, and my socks, and placed them neatly at the foot of Ichigo's bed. Next, I unclasped the skirt and placed it on top of my suit jacket, then unbuttoned my shirt and put it on top of my scarf. Standing in only my underwear, I noticed with great interest, and was slightly appalled at the thought of, that Kisuke had my Gigai wearing a bra. I wandered for a moment if I needed such a thing yet, since I was only at the physical age of eleven, but decided against it since I was really too tired to think anyway. I slipped into the comfortable pajamas Yuzu and Karin had given me, sighing with relief at how much they made me feel relaxed.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep without much of a second thought in a bed that smelled like a carrot top that I considered just as much family as my sister. I fell asleep with a smile touching my lips.

* * *

The daylight of the morning awoke me from a pleasant dream. The covers of Ichigo's bed enveloped me, making me wish that there wasn't a reason for me to leave it behind to get up. But just then an alarm clock sounded and shattered any drowsiness I had. Groaning, I rose out of Ichigo's bed and looked around. I found my clothes right where I left them, as well as my shoes. I smelled breakfast downstairs, and sighed. I slipped out of bed, showered quickly, and quietly padded down the steps, rubbing my eyes and yawning. Yuzu was making a wonderfully smelling pancakes, Karin already eating the first round while ignoring a rowdy Isshin. I giggled and sat down at the table with another big yawn. Karin gave me a little smirk when she spoke between bites.

"I take you've never had to brush all that hair in the morning?" Karin snickered.

I cocked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

I heard Yuzu giggle behind me, "She means that your hair is a mess, Misami."

"Oh," I ran a hand through it and realized that it was indeed knotted from my sleeping so soundly, "Um, do you think that either of you could help me with that? I've tried to do it on my own but I always take way too long..."

"I'd love to!" Yuzu exclaimed, as she placed a three stack of pancakes before me, "Here, I already ate, so you can eat while it do it!"

"I turned towards her, a small smile stretching across my face, "Thank you so much, Yuzu!"

"It's no trouble at all!" Yuzu smiled, "And your hair is so pretty too! I've never seen anything like it! Did you dye it?"

"Uh, no, actually," I said sheepishly, "It's actually my natural hair color..."

"That's so cool!" Yuzu said, as I felt the brush start to run through my hair.

"Yeah, I guess so," I agreed, nervously laughing in embarrassment.

The pancakes were the best breakfast food I had ever had, the butter and syrup that went with made them all the more amazing. By the time I was finished, Yuzu had finished with my hair. She had used two small hair clips to hold my bangs to the side and out of my ice blue eyes. I thanked them and went to go get dressed for school in the uniform that Kisuke had provided for me. I was thankful that this was so much more simple to put on when compared to wearing a kimono. The skirt was growing on me, with its freedom of movement that came with having no fabric between my legs. But because of that fact, I was extremely conscious of the fact that my legs were pretty much on display, and that someone could see a little more then I was okay with if i were to trip or something like that. I shook that thought of as I tucked in my buttoned shirt into my skirt and slipped on my jacket after that. I flipped up my collar, tied the red bow around my neck, the n flipped the collar back down so that only the bow was visible. I slipped on my black, knee high socks and then my shoes. Finally, I wrapped my white scarf around my neck and pulled the hem up so that my scar was covered, which meant that my top lip down was shielded from sight as well. Checking in a mirror that I found somewhere in the house, I found myself presentable to the world and walked out of Ichigo's room. Yuzu and Karin were waiting for me at the gate on the edge of the Kurosaki lawn, both holding looks of excitement.

"You look great, Misami!" Yuzu said, handing me a school bag filled with books and supplies, "I'm glad that I could find those hair clips."

I smiled, taking the bag and slinging the strap over my head so that it rested as the same as the strap to my shoulder Zanpakuto, "Thanks, Yuzu!"

"Alright, we better go before we're late, guys," Karin said, already heading down the road.

"Have fun, girls!" Isshin said, with his usual grin and a big wave, "Be safe!"

"Okay, Isshin!" I yelled back and waved, giving him a warm smile.

My calling him by his name seemed to make him extremely happy, as he bust out in tears of joy and was mumbling to himself and the poster in the house. I laughed, turning back to Yuzu and Karin, "You two never have a dull day with him around don't you?"

"Nope," Karin said, rolling her eyes, "Since Ichigo's gone off to be a Soul Reaper, Dad's been using me as a test subject for a kicking doll in the mornings instead of him."

"What do you mean?" I asked, "What did he do?"

"When Ichigo lived here, Dad would wake him up by surprise attacking him with a kick to the face or try to tackle him," Karin said, "Now, I guess I'm next in line."

"Has he gotten you yet?" I asked.

Karin grinned and shook her head, "Nope, and I don't think he will."

I laughed, "Well, then, I better watch out for you!"

Yuzu giggled, "I don't think you'll have to worry about that, Misami. Unless you make her mad or something, Karin won't hurt you!"

I gave an exaggerated sigh of relief, "Whew! That's good to hear!"

We all shared a laugh as we continued on to the high school. Karin and Yuzu started a conversation about some experience they had shared with someone else, and I soon found my self tuning them out because I couldn't find a place in the conversation. I found myself thinking about what this high school was going to be like. I knew I was in the same class as Ichigo's allies and friends were in, and that I would not have any trouble completing the class curriculum because I had excelled in academics at the Academy. At some point, Isshin had told me the story I was supposed to use to explain why I had been transferred ti the school. I was a transfer student, and from the same place as Rukia. I was hoping that people still remembered Rukia so that my story made sense. Next, I was going to get to sit in the same seat as Rukia had used when she was enrolled at this high school, which made me feel very happy to say the least. The teacher had already been hit with a memory reset device, so my story would be backed up by someone with at least a little authority. The only obstacle that was left was for me to get over my shyness with attention, since I was going to have to deal with being both new and different from everyone.

"Well," Yuzu said, with a sigh, "This is where you go, our school is a little farther, so we'll see you later!"

"Bye, you guys! I'll see you later," I called and waved after them. They waved back, turning to leave.

I faced the place I had stopped in front of. A large gate that lead to an average high school. There were students that were wearing the same as me, which thankfully confirmed that this was the place I was supposed to attend. I walked into the courtyard, my ears assaulted by a whining voice that belonged to a boy with shaggy brown hair. Next to him was a similarly aged boy that had all his attention to his phone. Towering over them was a man who's hair covered his eyes from view, his expression was neutral. They all seemed close, I supposed. A group approached them, two girls and one familiar looking boy wearing glasses. One of the girls had long ginger hair, and a big happy smile. The other girl had tomboyish short spiky hair, but it looked like she was starting to grow it out, and her demeanor made me feel as if she could handle herself easily. The boy, of course, I recognized to be Uryuu. A Quincy, then the two humans with special abilities that were registering to my senses as Hollow-like. Orihime, I knew to be the one with ginger hair and mysterious shielding and healing abilities, and Chad, the monster of a man whom had powers with his arms that was able to defeat even an Arrancar. Those were the three humans I was told I could trust to aid me if I only mentioned I was a close friend of Ichigo's.

I slowly walked in, clutching the book bag that Yuzu had given me when we left the house to my chest. I found people looking at me, my whit hair and scarf seeming to make me stand out like a sore thumb. Everyone, even the freshmen high school students, were taller then me. I was looking around to every face, making sure that they weren't giving me any condescending looks like when I had arrived at the Soul Reaper Academy. Much to my relief, and subsequent confusion, the only looks I was getting from anyone was that of curiosity. I still didn't like even that look, but it was far better then the prospect of meeting with a human version of those two Nobles that terrorized me and spread rumors about me while I attended beginning classes at the start of my time at the Academy. I avoided anyone's eyes by walking at a brisk pace to the school's entrance, purposely ignoring the group that included Orihime and Uryuu. I wanted to see the reaction of the Quincy when I was introduced to the home room as a whole. I smirked to myself at the thought of his face, the display of emotion hidden under my scarf.

At the thought of my scarf, I pulled the hem of it down so that it just touched my chin, showing my scar in the process. At the very least, I decided in that moment, I was going to try and get over my fear of attention. I supposed that the best way to do just that was through overexposure, which meant being the center of attraction. The thought made me shiver as I mounted the steps to reach the room where I was supposed to go for home room.

_You'll do perfectly, Master, _Hikari chimed in, _Just pretend that you are acting like an innocent girl, or pretend that you're with your sister. You always act so lively around her._

_I guess that could work, _I mentally agreed, hearing the bell that announced the start of the school day. I rushed to the room, stopping at the door just as the teacher began to call the role for the day. I caught his eye towards the tail end of the list of names, and he nodded to acknowledge my presence. Then, he motioned for me to walk in and began to speak, "Class, we have a new transfer student arriving today. She happens to be the sister of Rukia Kuchiki, whom we all know to have graduated early from high school with Ichigo Kurosaki. Please welcome, Misami Kuchiki."

"Hello!" I said in a happy voice, the biggest smile on my face, "I'm so pleased to meet you all!"

"Miss Kuchiki," The teacher droned on, clearly sounding bored, "If you could please take the open seat next to the window in the back. We will be on page fifteen of your text book."

I smiled and nodded, happily trotting over to the designated seat and plopping down onto the wooden chair. Uryuu was staring at me with an incredulous look, to which I giggled and handed him a slip of paper which read, "Make a scene and you're dead." He adjusted his glasses and groaned. He didn't look at me the entire class, which was good since the rest of the class _was _staring at me. The boys were whispering among themselves, the brown haired one that was friends with Chad was making a strange expression at me, as if I was the most adorable thing in the world. The girls were giving me either welcoming smiles, or jealous looks disguised as happy expressions, all of which I returned with my own beaming smile. I hummed to myself a happy tune while I took notes in the class, all really from memory of the history classes that I took on human history, and made sure to seem as if I were bubbling with energy and I couldn't wait for the next period. I wandered to myself if the act I was putting up was working at all. I didn't know if I was being as bubbly or noticeably happy as I should, or if I was overdoing it. Either way, this was how I was supposed to look and act anytime I was around humans now that I had made this first impression. I felt a twinge of regret for my choice, but ignored it. I didn't want any negative thoughts to seep through the cracks of my "goody-too-shoes" act.

The bell suddenly rang, interrupting my thoughts. I looked down at the page I had been writing on. It had drawings that looked a lot like Rukia's mixed into the words that I had used from my memory to at least make it look like I was paying attention to the teacher. I sighed and put my supplies back into my school bag. But as soon as I grabbed my school bag and stood up to leave, I felt a hands grab my wrist and pull me in the direction of the exit to the room. I saw the expressions Chad and Orihime were wearing, which were slight confusion, before they followed me and the boy who had grabbed me. I looked up and saw that it was Uryuu, walking at such a quick pace that my shorter legs couldn't quite keep up. The end result was me being dragged along while Orihime and Chad kept asking Uryuu what was going on.

Soon we found ourselves standing in a courtyard, with no prying eyes but the three humans and I. Uryuu threw me in front of Chad and Orihime and then whipped around as he asked, "What are you doing here?!"

"Gee, mister!" I said, covering my mouth with my hands in fear, "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"

"Cut out the goody too shoes act," Uryuu snapped, "There's no one around."

"What do you mean?" I said, exaggerated confusion in my voice as I pointed towards Orihime and Chad, "There's two people right over there."

"They don't count," he said harshly, clearly irritated now, "So knock it off."

"Geez," I said, dropping the act so suddenly and enacting a harsher tone then Uryuu, as I crossed my arms patronizingly, "I think that was pretty good considering I came up with it right before I went in the room. You need to calm down, Uryuu, it's not like I'm going to steal your girlfriend or class rank."

He stared, angered and dumbfounded, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on assignment for the Thirteenth Squad," I explained, "I'm sure you know what that is, Quincy."

Another stare, "Why did they send you if we were already protecting it?"

"None of your business," I rolled my eyes. Then I turned around and smiled at Orihime and Chad, "Oh where are my manners? Nice to meet you! My name is Misami Kuchiki. I'm a close friend of Ichigo Kurosaki's!"

Orihime smiled back, "Nice to meet you too! My name is Orihime Inoue."

Chad nodded, "Nice to meet you, my name is Chad."

"Wait! You know Ichigo?!" Orihime said right after Chad finished.

I nodded, ginning, "Mhm! He's like a brother to me!"

"That's so cool!" Orihime beamed.

"Hold on," Uryuu interrupted the conversation, "If you are on a assignment for the Soul Society, then why would you need to go here?"

I shrugged, "Kisuke and Isshin said that I'd like it. And it was easier for me to make contact with you all on a daily basis if I attended here as well."

"Kisuke Urahara and Isshin Kurosaki?" Uryuu seemed surprised, "And how exactly do you know them?"

"Well, Kisuke's a really good friend of mine and he helped train me," I explained cautiously, this being the first time I had to explain my association with the shady former captain, "And I just met Isshin last night and he insisted that I call him by his first name. I like Ichigo's family though, so I didn't really find it weird to do that."

"So you've met his sisters as well then?" Uryuu pressed.

I nodded, not the least bit intimidated, "Yeah, I have. And I really like them. So what?"

Uryuu growled, what ever thing he was about to say cut off by the class bell, "C'mon, we have to get to class."

* * *

I spent the next month at the high school. I used the memory replacing device on the teachers and principal so that they remembered that I had a special exemption to where I could leave class at anytime for unexplained reasons as long as my grades didn't suffer. This allowed my leaving the school for my duties as a Soul Reaper to continue uninterrupted. Uryuu had gotten used to my annoyingly happy attitude, and Orihime had taken a shine to me since we both now acted similarly. Chad was just present when I hung out with Uryuu and Orihime, silently listening to the conversation. I liked this routine that I had settled in after a few days, and I thought it was nice to have more then just Rukia and Ichigo to have around, though I was feeling a little homesick at the thought of them. Isshin, Yuzu and Karin all made my stay more then comfortable. They seemed to enjoy my company, and I knew that I enjoyed living there. As I expected, there never really was a dull moment when Isshin was home. Yuzu actually shooed me away when I tried to help her with the laundry, saying that if I was a guest I shouldn't be allowed to do any chores since it was her responsibility. Overall, I was jealous of Ichigo that he had had this life before he had become a Soul Reaper.

Where he had a roof over his head and his own room, I had had a shack filled with orphans just like me. Where he had food served by a loving sister, I had to steal from vendors and eat them in a tree to avoid the other orphans from stealing it from me, while I dreamed of what it was like to even have a family. When Ichigo went to school, he at least knew he was going to have a future, while I roamed the streets on an empty stomach for centuries. I knew that compared to just about anyone whom was a Soul Reaper, a very select group had had it worse then me as far as living standards and friends. I had to wear the same torn up kimono for my entire life. I was forced to live on my own as soon as I arrived in the Soul Society from my past life. My earliest memory was of running from Hollows in the 79th District, my second oldest was of running from men in the 78th. The only "family" I had was a group of kids, none of which were older then the physical age of fourteen. And even then, I only had aged one year before I had buried them all at the foot of a mountain in the 78th District, directly below the three graves of Rukia's childhood friends. And above all that, I didn't even have a name to call my own.

But all that was in the past now, memories that had a special place in my mind that could only be unlocked during my worst nightmares. Captain Kyoraku had given me my first name, Rukia then became my first real friend then went on to give me my family. Ichigo had given me the strength I needed to cease being the weak soul I had once been to become what I am now. I completely at peace with my life, thinking that there was nothing that I lacked. I was grateful to every single one of my family, and to my friends.

I had received a hell butterfly that had been from Captain Ukitake, who was now my Captain, telling me that Ichigo had been graduated early and given the position of Captain of Squad Five. Also in that message was that he and Ichigo had come to an agreement to transfer Rukia to the Fifth Squad as its Lieutenant, replacing Squad Thirteen's Lieutenant with a man that had been the Fourth Seat before I took the position. I wasn't surprised at the fact that Rukia had been moved to be Ichigo's Lieutenant, seeing as they were now openly dating and made such a nice team. What did surprise me was that the one that I had replaced had in turn replaced Rukia. I thought it was strange that I was, if the ranking system was to be believed, basically stronger then the replacement for Rukia. Maybe he had trained hard in the past month and earned it, because I knew that the two Third Seats of my Squad weren't going to be Lieutenants anytime soon with their constant bickering.

When I sent the butterfly away, I grabbed my school bag and left for class. Breakfast had been toast for me, since I woke up late and missed the eggs Yuzu had made. I had been out late Hollow hunting with Uryuu, since Orihime and Chad couldn't be all over town as fast as he could. We agreed, though not without a few glares of distaste, that I would be handling the western half of the town while he took on the east, the river being the boundary we agreed on. I had to kill eight Hollows, with each one appearing clear on the other side of my designated territory and forcing me to use up a good portion of my energy on getting there in time with my Flash Step. Now I was suffering for my hard work, but thankful that the Gigai I wore helped revive my energy while I wore it.

I said my good-byes to Yuzu and Karin before happily entering the grounds of the high school. Orihime caught up with me, chatting about how her and a friend of hers had eaten another one of her crazy dishes and how that friend had puked because of it. I laughed, thinking to myself if she was alright in the head for having a taste of all those weird food selections. But I shrugged it off and told her how tired I really was, though I maintained the preppy attitude I had used this past month during my classes. I was happily taking notes in my math class, with Chad being the only friend in the room while Uryuu and Orihime had Home Ec together. It was easy enough, even though I looked like I should just now only know multiplication. Chad was quietly taking notes, not giving anyone any attention except to look up through his bangs to the teacher before looking back down to take more notes. I was getting looks from the rest of the male population of the room, though. My reputation at this school turned out to be an adorable, cute girl that anyone could be friends with, and also the second smartest next to Uryuu. Boys thought I was the cutest thing they had ever seen. Well, that's what all the notes they had been giving me said. I didn't really understand why they insisted on writing me notes when they could simply just tell me to my face, but I just assumed that this was how humans liked to show their feelings and dismissed it.

Then my Soul Pager went off, buzzing in the breast pocket of my shirt under my uniform jacket. I looked up at the teacher and, satisfied that he wasn't paying attention, slipped a hand into my jacket. I grabbed the phone and slowly pulled it out of my pocket and flipped it open.

-These Orders Are For: Thirteenth Squad Fourth Seat Officer: Misami Kuchiki-  
-You are to meet the new Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen immediately at the river of Karakura town, whom will be accompanied by the Fifth Seat Officer-

I blinked and reread the message just to make sure. Then I looked over to Chad and waved good bye before putting all my stuff in my school bag. Then I stood up and left the class without another word. The teacher was used to this by now, and totally ignored me, while the class watched me go with great interest. I flashed a smile and a wave before I left. I even giggled as I saw a portion of the class return the wave just before I lost sight of them.

I walked out of the doors and into the courtyard of the school, noticing that some students were looking out the window to watch me leave. I pulled my scarf up to cover my face from my nose down like I always did in the Soul Society so my scar was hidden. I still wore my bangs out of my eye with the hair clips Yuzu had given me, which I personally liked. I walked calmly through the city streets, the tails of my scarf and my hair blown in the soft cross wind breeze. I could already feel my ice blue eyes harden and hold the emotionless stare Kuchikis were known for throughout the Soul Society. My mouth, though obscured by my scarf, was in a neutral line. I took out the pager and flipped it open to reread the message.

The Fifth Seat of Squad Thirteen was a Soul Reaper that really should have been transferred to Squad Two a long time ago. His Shikai was an infinite supply of throwing knives. He was an expert at Flash Step, able to make two to three clones of himself with his speed with a special technique. He didn't really speak unless he was spoken to my a higher ranked Soul Reaper or someone he respected. He wore similar clothes to that of the Punishment Force, the only difference was that he had a hood and scarf instead of a ninja-like head gear like the Second Squad. The combination of those two things covered up his face with shadow and cloth, so no one really knew for sure what his face looked like. I had yet to meet him officially.

The Lieutenant that replaced Rukia was a strong minded man who had been working hard to get the positions he got to overcome his low spiritual pressure. He had shaggy brown hair and brown eyes, with no real defining features about him the last time I saw him before I took his position. He had been extremely upset when he was told in my presence that I was going to take his position and he would be demoted to the rank of Fifth Seat subsequently. I felt bad that I replaced him when I heard about how hard he had had to work to get. I guessed that he would be alright though, and thought nothing else on the matter while I prepared to leave for the Human World. His Shikai was a water type, but no one really had witnessed it.

I shook of the train of thought as I drew closer and closer to the river. I saw two figures standing in the air, both around the same height. I drew closer still, until I was directly under them. The Fifth Seat had his Zanpakuto strapped to his back like how Ichigo had it but slightly different. Instead of the hilt looming over his right shoulder, the hilt was at his left hip. He stood with his arms crossed and his features were after all covered with the hood and scarf he wore. The Lieutenant wore no real distinguishing differences from the average Soul Reaper uniform, except for the Lieutenants badge strapped to his left arm. He wore his Zanpakuto at his side in between the folds of the wrappings around his waist. I sighed, wandering what they were expecting, and why they wanted to see me. I looked back down to the river, my Gigai's neck was cramping from staring up at the two Soul Reapers, watching the waters flow at their usual pace.

"Where the heck is she?" The Lieutenant growled.

The Fifth Seat remained silent, but by the growl of the Lieutenant that reached my ears, I knew that he had done something to to effect of a shrug.

"She follows her orders to the number, so why is she late?"

"She's not," The Fifth Seat said in a low monotone.

"What?!"

"On the ground," The Fifth Seats responses seemed to always be short.

"Wha-" The Lieutenant must have looked down to see me, now sitting in the riverside bank in my school uniform, with my hair and the tails of my scarf flying slightly in the breeze, "Oh. When did she get here?"

"On time," sounded another curt response.

"Would it kill you to say more then three words at a time?" The Lieutenant groaned, "Never mind, let's just meet her down there if she won't get out of that Gigai."

Two soft landings in the grass behind me. I didn't move to make known that I acknowledged their presence. That is until the Lieutenant cleared his throat. I slowly turned my head, almost lazily, to look at the two of them. Of course, they were much taller then me. Just like every other being in the Soul Society. It didn't help that I was sitting down as well, making them both tower over me. I kept my expression deathly neutral, indifferent as it had ever been, and looked over my left shoulder at them. I could just see them in my peripheral vision, and sighed before I spoke.

"Lieutenant," I nodded respectively, "Fifth Seat. What is the reason you both have requested my presence?"

"Is that anyway to address your superiors?!" The Lieutenant roared.

I sighed again, this time more out of irritation since the new Lieutenant was trying to lord his new rank over me so that I would feel bad or something to that effect. I stood up to my full height and bowed slightly, but not all that much, and spoke in an indifferent monotone, "Hello, Lieutenant Arata, I am Fourth Seat Officer Misami Kuchiki. I'm pleased to meet you."

"That's better," Arata grinned, "Now on to business. We have a new mission to carry out and I want to enlist you both to help."

"I am already on an assignment currently," I said, with a dismissive sigh, "So I don't think I can leave without a good enough reason, Lieutenant Arata."

"There has been a Hollow break out in the Soul Society," The Lieutenant sighed, "And we need all the help we can get all the help we could get."

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "Why wasn't I informed of this when it occurred?"

"The Head-Captain wished it to be classified in order to not ensue panic among the Rukkon Districts," The Lieutenant explained.

"Why not send the Eleventh and be done with it?" I asked, turning back towards the river. I would much rather enjoy the sight of nature then the ugly look in the eyes of my new superior.

"I don't know," He growled, "But I'm ordering you to abandon your current assignment, and accompany me and the Fifth Seat back to the Soul Society."

"And if I refused that order?" I looked back over my shoulder as I asked, a hard look in my eyes.

The Lieutenant grinned, almost psychotically, "I'll just have to make you, then."


	11. A World Of Hollows

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks for being patient with my updating schedule! I hope that you all will enjoy this one as much as the rest of the chapters. This chapter will hopefully help you all understand why there was a Hollow part to the beginning of a good portion of the chapters. I hope the the fights, also in this chapter are as good as I tried to make them too!**

**Thank you, Chilly292, for reviewing! I'm sorry if the wait for this chapter was too long, but I did the best I could with the time I had. Plus I have another story that I put as much work as I do into this one. I'm glad that I could make the Uryuu and Misami conversations as entertaining as they were, since that was what I was aiming for! I was as happy as you were that MIsami was getting to graduate early and go on the assignment that she had wanted to for so long! And, as for the shoutout, you deserve it! I look forward to your next review!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! I made sure that no one could find much to love in that Lieutenant, haha! And her being Fourth Seat, I feel, is a really good place to start as a ten year old Soul Reaper, since it's not too high but also its up there in the ranks. I look forwards to your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, plot, idea, and my OCs. **

I sighed, looking up at the crazy look in his eyes, my new Lieutenant's eyes. I wasn't the least bit afraid of him, knowing that if I could keep up with a Captain level Soul Reaper like Ichigo, then he posed no threat to me. I nuzzled my chin into my scarf, looking away from the two Soul Reapers in front of me to my left. I really didn't want to have to deal with fighting this man, who seemed to have developed some sort of grudge against me. I sighed, annoyed, as I turned back to face him. He had a crazy look in his eyes, which was strangely out of place when I saw the expression of patient expectancy on his features. The Fifth Seat was standing behind him, and seemed to be shaking his head, crossing his arms as he awaited what was going to happen next.

"How long will this assignment take?" I asked.

"Not long," The Lieutenant grinned, looking triumphant, "You should be back in a day or two."

"Then I can just leave my Gigai here," I said, pulling out a Chappy Soul Candy.

"That won't be-" The Lieutenant's words were cut off by the sight of my Soul Reaper form leaving my Gigai. I stood in my modified Shihakusho, with my white scarf covering my scar and most of my face. I adjusted my white tekko, and fixed my hair the way I had it when I wore my Gigai, with hair pins, so that my bangs were out of the way of my eyes. I looked over to my Gigai, whom now had a bubbly personality just like the reputation I had made for myself in the Human World. She'd easily go on as I had been acting for this past month, so no one would notice that I had left.

I turned to my Gigai, "Stay here and cover for me. I'll be back soon."

"Yes, ma'am!" she smiled and gave me a salute.

I smiled, nodded to her, and then turned back to the Lieutenant, "Lead the way, _sir_."

The Lieutenant groaned at my sarcastic respect, turning away from me and unsheathed his Zanpakuto. Stabbing the air and turning the blade like a key, he opened the Senkaimon. He turned and motioned irritably for us to follow, as if he regretted bringing both the Fifth Seat and I. We both looked at each other, shrugged simultaneously, and followed the Lieutenant into the gateway to our home. The cheery farewell reached my ears just as I left, making me smile slightly at the the thought of how differently I had been while living in the Human World. I liked being more alive, or at least acting as such, when I was around my new human friends. I liked being able to smile as I wished and not worry about others looking down on me for doing such a thing. Since I was a Kuchiki, I had an obligation to be the pinnacle of self discipline and control, as well as a flawless upholder of the law. It was a small price to pay. To be able to call Rukia, my idol and closest friend since before the first day of meeting her was over, my own sister. To be able to have a family that is as considerate as Byakuya and Rukia, to have a family period, was one of the thing I most desired. With accepting the adoption into the clan, I agreed to carry an enormous responsibility and effectively forfeit the rest of my childhood to become a Kuchiki. I realized now, as I was enveloped by the warm light of the Senkaimon, that I should have enjoyed being able to live as I wished before choosing to sacrifice it. But with the decision irreversible, and my choice final, I knew that I had to accept the consequences as well as the benefits of my choice.

I still felt obligated to repay my brother and Rukia for the blessings they had given to me, the sense of belonging that I had lacked for my entire life that came with being adopted, which was far more valuable to me then the conditions in which I lived or the prestige of the name I was now entitled to. I obeyed every single command I was given with only a fraction of the vigor with which I fulfill the requests and orders given to me by my brother, and even then they were basically flawlessly executed as a testament to how much diligence I used when I obeyed Byakuya. Even though there was no way that Byakuya could not know of my loyalty to him, he has never once taken advantage of it. I will never understand why it is that he was relatively so kind to me, even though i had done nothing to earn it.

The view of the courtyard where the Senkaimon was located shook me from my thoughts as I sensed the Lieutenant and Fifth Seat on the move. I followed them closely, making sure that I wasn't left behind because of my notably shorter stride. The power seal, Squad Thirteen's snow drop of hope, vanished as I exited the gateway, and my power returned to their normal levels. I felt extremely lighter, not used to the real amount of power thanks to the month that I had spent in the Human World and getting used to being eighty percent weaker then I actually was. We walked through the Seireitei quietly and quickly, weaving their way until we came upon the exit into the Rukkon Districts. Nodding to the guard, we slipped past the border between the Seireitei and the Rukkon districts. The souls that lived in South Rukkon District 1 looked on as we started to walk out to the District before disappearing in a Flash Step as we headed further South. I didn't feel any real Hollow presence with my senses, even though it was impossible to miss the foul traces of a Hollow. I wandered whether or not there were any Hollows at all, but the memory of the Hollow that hid its real power from me until after I almost killed it on my first night in Karakura flashed in my mind. I had tried to never underestimate my enemy, no matter how weak they appeared, ever since that encounter.

We continued to Flash across the wide open South Rukkon Districts, onlookers either gazing up in awe or sneering in disgust at the sight of us. The Lieutenant tried to strike up a conversation between the two of us, but the Fifth seat had an aura around him that seemed to make conversation with him a really bad idea, and I gave him a look that both told him that I didn't want to be talked to right now, and that I really didn't wish to be here to begin with. The Lieutenant tried to pull rank on the both of us, saying that he would have us reprimanded for disrespecting him if we continued to meet his small talk with actual verbal responses instead of silence. The Fifth Seat and I looked at each other at the same time, each of us still silent, then looked back at the Lieutenant. We simply stared at him while we were running through the sky, watching as he got more and more irritated with our divisiveness over his rank. I supposed that he didn't understand that respect was not inherited, but earned diligently. The Fifth Seat seemed to always be this quiet, making me doubt he ever said more then ten words in his life in a row. It was sort of unnerving how silent he was, even when compared to me and my century of not saying a word aloud.

I wondered what had happened to him to cause that silence, that stoic and detached attitude, as we reached the 30th District. I had to go through losing all of my "family" of misfit delinquent kids withing the span of two months, then weep and cry long into the night. I remember crying so much, and so loudly, that my voice was soon lost, being replaced with a hoarse whisper. The Fifth Seat's voice was a gruff, similarly hoarse, monotone that he rarely used. He seemed so much more suited for the Second Division to me, making me wonder why someone as strangely intimidating and assassin-like was in a Squad like mine. The only real reason that I could think of was that he had been placed in the Squad in an attempt to lighten up his mood. That theory seemed rather unlikely, given his personality.

"We are almost there," The Lieutenant ripped me back into reality and away from my thoughts, as I realized we were now running above district 40 of the South Rukkon.

"I don't sense anything, sir," I reported, as I heard the Fifth Seat grunt his agreement to my statement.

"You must be mistaken," The Lieutenant said, a little too quickly for my taste, "I can sense them just fine."

"Are you alright, sir?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

He gave me a look, but his eyes looked slightly nervous as he spoke, "What?"

"I said-" I started to say, but was cut off by a dismissive wave.

"I know what you said, Fourth Seat," Arata said, looking away from my gaze, "I'm just wondering why you would ask something like that."

"Maybe because you are lying when you say that you can sense them?" I said, shrugging, "Or how you are getting nervous when I accuse you of lying instead of reprimanding me for insubordination."

The Lieutenant stopped in mid-air, the bangs of his shaggy brown hair hiding his eyes from my view. The Fifth Seat and I stopped abruptly, looking at him expectantly as we waited for him to do something. He dropped down to the ground, keeping his gaze cast downward as he did so. I looked at the Fifth Seat, giving him a discrete look of suspicion that I was sure he would receive. Then looked back at the Lieutenant as he finally looked up to meet my eyes. I blinked in surprise at what I saw. His irises were red, the whites of his eyes dyed black. They had a murderous look in them, a predatory look in them. His mouth was contorted into a vicious grin as he cackled evilly. The whole scene made my skin crawl, and caused me to shiver at the sight of him. His voice was multi-layered and distorted, making it hard to understand him as he spoke.

"Oooooohhh, Misami," The thing said, in a mad-man like tone, "Misami, Misami, Misami...You have no idea how much I despise you."

My right hand flew to the sword hilt over my shoulder, "Who are you?"

"You know my name, you brat," The Lieutenant snapped, growling, "The more pressing question is: '_What _am I?'"

He drew out his Zanpakuto and slashed at the air behind him. The air ripped open and made a tearing sound was a gash of black formed. A Garganta formed fully at the back of the Lieutenant, his black and red eyes gleaming with evil glee. The yellow glowing eyes of an infinite amount of Hollows shimmered in the black void of the portal to the Hollow world. The Fifth Seat already had his blade in his hands, holding it tightly in his hands in a reverse grip. I looked to the Lieutenant, to the Hollows, then back to the Lieutenant with an unimpressed look on my face.

"Really?" I cocked an eyebrow, letting go of my sword and leaving it in its scabbard, "You want to use Hollows like that to kill me when you could have done it in the Human World, where I was at a fifth of my power?"

He merely cackled, "Kill you? Oh no, I want to erase you!"

And with that, a swarm of Hollows hands and limbs lashed out from the Garganta. They went around the Lieutenant, and straight for me. They were a blur as they grabbed my limbs in vise grips to tight, that they drew blood. I bit back a girlish yelp of surprise, trading that reaction for a grunt of pain as I was torn away from where I had stood. I heard them grab the Fifth Seat after two of the limbs were severed and collapsed to the ground. I tried to keep the child side of me from freaking out, from having a panic attack because of the likeness to my earliest and most terrifying memory. Horror gripped my mind, shutting out the Lieutenants evil chuckling as he followed us into the Garganta. The limbs hurt my body, blood running freely now from where they had clamped onto my arms and legs. One limb was actually gripping my neck, tight enough to give me the sense of choking, but light enough for me to barely be able to draw a breath. I struggled against the arms, but soon found that it only served to further the injuries they were causing me and terrify me all the more. Outwardly, I must have looked angry or irritated, but on the inside I was about to lose control. I was frantically flicking my eyes this way and that, looking for a weak point from which I could use to escape the disgusting grasp of these Hollows and make it back to the Soul Society.

But my hopes vanished like shadow in the presence of light, as I saw the last light of the portal to the Soul Society disappear as the tear in space mended and the Garganta closed. I took a deep breath, then let it out. I let myself calm down, ceasing my struggle now that there was no chance of escape until I was released. I knew that I wasn't going to be killed by these Hollows, whom I could now see since I was in Hueco Muendo, because if they were to kill be I would already have died. The Fifth Seat was, unsurprisingly, unfaltering in his silence. He had his sword gripped in his hand, but the Hollows dragged him along in such a way to where he could not reach them with his blade. The Lieutenant was gleefully trotting ahead, the Hollows following his lead as we traversed the hard packed, pale sands of what I believed to be the Menos Forest.

We continued on for hours, the Fifth Seat and I remaining silent was we listened to the Lieutenant, whatever he was, ramble on in a victorious tone the amount of time it took for him to formulate this master plan of his. I tuned him out, my disgust for him blossoming into full blown contempt, as I awaited for us to arrive at the destination he had planned for us. I suddenly felt a presence, like an ominous sigh that made my skin crawl all over again. Then I gasped, as I felt my back be pierced by a clawed hand. I blinked, looking down at my stomach, expecting to see a taloned hand protruding out of it. I saw nothing, not even a speck of freshly leaking crimson staining my black Shihakusho. _What was that? _I though to myself, inwardly terrified and confused, _Can something have so much killer intent that I would feel it as soon as I felt its spiritual pressure?! Is that even possible? _I felt for the position of the presence, a bead of sweat adorning my brow, the realization hitting me as soon as the beast was located. We were heading directly towards it, our heading perfectly aligned to where I found it. We were almost there, an empty expanse of sand stretching out to create an arena like area with a mound of sand in the center.

On that mound of sand, sat a massive Hollow. But he wasn't massive as far as size was concerned, reaching around seven feet tall, but massive in the sense that he had extremely large muscles. His amount of power was immense, making me have a harder time breathing. Black talons were on the tips of his fingers and toes. A Spartan helmet crest adorned his head, the mask causing his entire face to be cloaked in shadow where his read eyes glowed through to make him look like a ghost of Sparta. Black, vine-like markings seemed to grow from his talons, covering his arm before stopping at the Hollow hole in the center of his enormous chest. He seemed almost bored, and also aware of our presence. We approached further until we were at the foot of the sand pile, and let down by the mass of Hollows. The Fifth Seat and I rose to our feet quietly, looking around for an exit. But then the Fifth Seat suddenly whispered into my ear.

"That's a Vasto Lorde," He said, "Takeshi Yagami. Code name: The Ripper."

"What?" I whispered back, "That's him?"

A nod was his response.

"I have brought them as requested, my lord," the Lieutenant bowed before the Vasto Lorde.

The Vasto Lorde laughed. He laughed so hard that he was holding his sides. The Fifth Seat and I shared a glance, then looked back just as the laughter died down. The Lieutenant looked extremely confused, to say the least. I was nervous beyond reason. The laugh of this creature wasn't a good-natured one, or light hearted one either. This laugh was menacing, predatory, and had the very essence of evil engraved into it. It made my heart sink into my feet, and my throat dry. I had the overwhelming urge to run, the child side of me wanting very much to get away from the Vasto Lorde. The sight of him reminded me of my earliest, and most terrifying memories. His evil grin, peeking through the shadows of the mask, looked exactly like the Hollows that had chased me long into the night. His white skin was eerily like the mask color of the Hollows as they peeked through the cracks of at the mouth of the cave when I hid from them, reminding my four year old self how hopeless it was to dream of escape. But that laugh. that terrible, condescending, malicious chuckle was exactly like what the Hollow of my memories sounded like. The laugh of a predator who knew that he had his prey right where he wanted him, that he saw the kill drawing nearer and nearer as he made the final preparations. The Lieutenant, the target of the laughter that now gripped me in the most horrifying terror, had no hope of survival. He must not realize that through his confusion, but I knew. I knew what the look in the Vasto Lorde's eyes meant all too well. It was ingrained in my being for the rest of my existence.

Now, there was now saving his life. Takeshi Yagami stood to his full height and descended down the the ground level from the mound of sand where he had sat. His' gaze was burning a hole directly into the Lieutenant's soul, "You make a deal with me to bring challenges, Soul Reapers that have betrayed you in every way and made you hate them beyond reason. I gave you the power and the goons to do it, and you bring me a ninja and a _child_!?"

The booming voice of the Vasto Lorde echoed through the Menos Forest as he said that last word, making me flinch. But the now terrified Lieutenant was on the ground, scampering away in terror. He was trembling, rising to his feet and turning to run. But he didn't get far before Takeshi was before him, arms crossed and an evil grin on his face. The Lieutenant went pale. Then Takeshi cackled and backhanded the Lieutenant Arata. But the move didn't just jerk the man's head to the side. No, I was now staring into the vacant eyes of the lieutenant, even though his body was still facing directly at the Vast Lorde. I didn't even realize it before I fell to my knees.

I couldn't breath, couldn't think. I couldn't hear the frantic calls of my Zanpakuto, or the hoarse whispers of the Fifth Seat and he knelt by my side. I was far too young to see something like that, far too young to even be in this situation. I couldn't believe that he had done such a thing to the Lieutenant, regardless of what he had done to me. I felt like puking, waves of dizziness washing over me. I looked to the Fifth Seat, mumbled something about not wanting to die just yet, and felt my self fall. But the sensation of plummeting to my doom was not halted when my body reached the ground. I felt myself collapse deep into the wells of my soul

All before the world went blacker then the night sky.

* * *

Takeshi looked over the the white haired Soul Reaper kid. She seemed pretty strong for her age, he'd give her that, but she was still just a kid. Seeing him kill that man in that way before her was far too much for her to handle. He was surprised, given the expression on her face, that she didn't scream in terror and try to flee like some of the Soul Reapers before her. The hooded Soul Reaper was a mystery though, not making a sound and seeming to stare at Takeshi from the shadows of the hood. There was a scarf covering any skin not cloaked in that shadow, making it impossible to tell the man's features, and therefore his expression. But his body language was characteristic of one that wasn't phased in the slightest by Takeshi's display of power. This meant that he was either incredibly strong willed and brave, or completely oblivious to how little of a chance he had of actually drawing blood. It didn't matter to Takeshi in the slightest, as long as the Soul Reaper was entertaining.

"Alright," Takeshi said, cracking his knuckles, "Let's see what you got, Soul Reaper."

The hooded ninja like Soul Reaper just assumed a stance and remained silent. Then his image flickered, forcing Takeshi to cock an eyebrow. How could he do that? An optical illusion, or some wretched magic spell? No he hadn't said any of those incantations that they had to recite. So what was this? Then the one Soul Reaper became three, all of them holding their identical swords in identical reverse grips. They split up, vanishing into the tree canopy with a single leap for each of them.

"Envelope and desolate, Yami no Naifu." Takeshi suddenly heard behind him, the voice a ghost-like hoarse whisper.

Before Takeshi could react, he felt six small blades sink into his skin. He drew blood. He actually drew blood on his first attack. Takeshi smiled, thinking for just a moment that this might prove to be entertaining after all, as he felt the three clones of the Soul Reaper surge towards him. The sword he had held had turned absolutely black and melded into two knives of shadow. The hilt of his sword was tucked behind him in the waist obi of his uniform, from which he had drawn out the two knives. Takeshi looked at the wound the Soul Reaper had given him, seeing that they were the same as the ones held by the clones. So he seemed to have a lot of them to throw. But they didn't seem to cut all that deep for a Shikai. Takeshi grinned and sent a fist straight into the closest clone. The strike went right through the body. Take whirled around one hundred and eighty degrees to face the next clone just before it could get within range. When he lashed out with a kick to fend off the attacker, that too was pointless as the clone vanished.

Takeshi extremely annoyed at this point, turned around once again and fended off the last clone. But when this clone disappeared, there was something that was greatly different. The other two times definitely didn't end with a blade jutting out of Takeshi's chest. His eyes went wide, surprised, "Can you really be that fast, Soul Reaper? Or was that some sort of trick?"

"Deceit is one of the greatest allies of an assassin," The hooded Soul Reaper said.

"So it was a trick?" Takeshi scoffed, seeming to not even be phased by the sword impaling him from behind.

"No," he responded, "It was not a trick. It was a technique of Hoho."

"Its still cowardly," Takeshi growled, reaching back with his right hand and clapping down on the blade from where it entered his back.

"Anyway," He said, vanishing from behind Takeshi. The sword reverted back to his Shikai as he did so, the sword blade vanishing from both Takeshi's grasp and his chest, "I must thank you, Vasto Lorde."

"Thank me?" If Takeshi could cock an eyebrow in confusion, he would have.

A clone of the hooded Soul Reaper flickered into existence before Takeshi as he spoke, "Yes. The Lieutenant you just killed was a disgrace to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Regardless of that fact, which I knew due to my surveillance, he was still my superior and I had an obligation to obey the man. But, through his ignorance and arrogance, he let his jealousy get the better of him and he made an error. Because of that error, you killed him. So I wanted to thank you for doing what I couldn't."

"If you weren't held down by those stupid obligations you wouldn't be in this situation, now would you, Soul Reaper," Takeshi grinned.

The clone shrugged, "Name's Daiki. And your right, but I would not have also been here to save this girl from an attempt on her life by the man you killed."

The clone motioned to the unconscious body of the white haired child, who had a white scarf and tekko that showed she was a noble, as Takeshi spoke, "So she's the one he wanted me to kill in exchange for his bringing her here? He never once said if she was a girl or not, and never mentioned her age either, now I see why. would have refused the duel had the prize been a girl as well as a child."

"What will you do now, Ripper?" Daiki's clone said.

"Just call me Takeshi, I don't really feel like being called by a code name," Takeshi said, "And what I'm going to do is fight you. Then maybe I will attract the attention of your superiors so that I can have some real fun."

Daiki's Flash Step clone shrugged again, "The funny thing is, Takeshi, that the girl is stronger then I am."

Takeshi was silent, then he burst out in laughter, "And your okay with that? That a child is stronger than you?"

Yet another shrug, "She was trained only by Captain level Soul Reapers the minute she arrived at the Academy. She is a very strong girl, despite her age, so I wouldn't belittle her in the slightest. I am an outcast, so I was not gifted as much in the aspect of training. Even without that, I still have the power level of a Lieutenant, so I wouldn't call myself weak."

"So your a Lieutenant level, huh?" Takeshi said, "Do you have that thing that that dog Captain had? Bankai, was it?"

Daiki chuckled, "I might, but I doubt you'd really want me to use it considering the location you chose."

"Oh?" Takeshi prodded.

"My Zanpakuto is a shadow type. As far as I know, there are extremely few of these types," Daiki's clone explained, the image flickering slightly, "And right now, there are an infinite amount of shadows. My Bankai is too under developed for me to use it in battle, anyways, so you'll just have to settle for my Shikai."

"I find you a very strange opponent, Daiki," Takeshi said, watching the clone vanish, "You are weaker then most, if not all, of the ones that have gone before you. But despite that, I find myself entertained nonetheless that you seem to not be scared in the slightest of me. I could sense the fear from the ones I have fought before, but not from you. In fact, I feel nothing from you. As if you were an inanimate object, like a stone wall. I look forward to this."

Suddenly, Daiki emerged from the shadows. With a knife in each hand, he was without his speed clones. His hood was off his head, letting his spiky pale blonde hair be revealed to the world. The scarf he wore was still wrapped around his face, covering his nose down. His eyes, a cobalt blue, were menacing and intense. He had a very sinister aura about him, that would have given most anyone chills, like he would suddenly appear behind you and slay you without a second thought. Takeshi thought it fitting that he would conceal that expression and gaze with the hood and scarf. He would guess that instead of scaring the entire Soul Reaper population into fearing for their lives with just a glance, Daiki chose instead to have most just be weary of him. Also, the combination also covered up a thick scar on his right eye. Then he vanished in a Flash Step.

Takeshi readied himself, crouching lower and clenching his hands into fists in expectation. A seemingly endless amount of throwing knives that belonged to Daiki assaulted Takeshi from all angles and sides. They sliced through the vital points of his body perfectly. His wrists, the sides of his neck, and his tendons. If Takeshi had been human, he would have easily lost all of his blood from the bleeding of all his major veins. But he wasn't some frail human, and the wounds instantly healed before they could really cause a problem. But that didn't stop them from giving Takeshi an incredible amount of pain to deal with, as the attack went on for at least three minutes. After the blades stopped, then came the clones of Daiki. They had a sword this time, the Shikai having been silently deactivated before they attacked.

They all attacked from different directions, in such a way that no matter which one Takeshi chose to attack, the other two would strike. Takeshi Sonido'ed out of the way, powering up a Cero at the end of his extended two fingers. But the clones had followed him almost instantaneously, their blades flying even closer to his chest. Then the clones suddenly disappeared, and Takeshi felt his stomach once again be pierced from behind by Daiki's blade. Only he had stabbed him at least five times before burying his sword to the hilt about six inches under the hole in his chest. Takeshi was getting annoyed at this point, finding this fight repetitive and boring now. He didn't like this style, of dodging all his attacks then suddenly appearing behind him to strike. This time, Takeshi grabbed Daiki's right wrist, and crushed it without hesitation. Grunting from pain, Daiki tried to escape the vise like grip of the Hollow. His attempts only made the injury hurt more. Takeshi made Daiki release his sword, which was still buried in his chest, and then he threw away Daiki hard into a tree.

A loud thud, then another grunt of pain from Daiki as he was impaled by a tree low tree limb in the stomach. He dangled from that tree, watching with shock as Takeshi slowly unsheathed the blade from his body. Then he threw the sword at Daiki, the blade flying end-over-end until it stuck into the tree next to the Soul Reaper. Daiki grunted, looking unflinchingly as Takeshi slowly walked up to the tree on which his body was skewered to.

"I am honestly surprised at how strong you are," Takeshi said, no sign of triumphant tone in his voice, "I just found the fight boring since you were so good at dodging everything. So, what rank are you really, Daiki?"

Daiki chuckled, his breath hitching soon after as he coughed up some of his blood, "Fifth Seat."

"You fought better then I would have thought for a Fifth Seat, that's for sure," Takeshi chuckled.

"The fact still remains that the girl is stronger then me," Daiki said.

Takeshi looked over to the girl, whom was now stirring from her slumber. He looked back at the Fifth Seat Soul Reaper, then back to the girl, grinning:

"Then I can't wait."

* * *

_Master! Master! Wake up, Misami! _I heard the frantic voice of my Zanpakuto, _Misami. _

I groaned, my head spinning from the panic attack I just had. Spinning and throbbing, since a migraine now claimed most all my immediate attention. My bangs shadowed over my eyes, shielding them from being seen and seeing as well. My ragged breaths went directly into my scarf, the cloth warming more with every exhale as it covered up the lower parts of my face. There was some sand in my Shihakusho, some of it threatening to slide into my tekko. I was glad I had my uniform's sleeves shortened like I did, because I honestly would have tripped on the long sleeves since I was so dizzy. I heard another set of ragged breathing, much more pained and hitched then my own. It was coming from the air above me, right below it was another set of breaths that were much more relaxed and softer. For some reason, my body felt stiff, as if the after effects of being paralyzed with fear lingered. I had become so terrified, the panic so gripping, that I had passed out. I couldn't believe how shameful that was to do such a thing.

The sight of the Fifth Seat's barely conscious body awaited me once my vision ceased to blur. Blood dripped from his body onto the ground below and he twitched from the pain of being impaled on the tree's branch. His sword was embedded into the trunk next to his body, just out of his reach. The Hollow stood between me and the Fifth Seat, the body of the Lieutenant out of the way where it had fallen upon his death. The Fifth Seat was looking at me with an encouraging look, as if to say "You can do it!". That made my heart drop, knowing the implication of that was that he was handing off the torch to me. I heard the Hollow speak to me, but I couldn't understand him. I didn't want to understand him; I was afraid of him. For all the power that was in my possession, nothing could protect me from the earliest and most horrifying memory I had. The Vasto Lorde reminded me so much of the Hollows that had terrorized me before, that the fear was just as gripping as it had been when I was a frail child. Granted, I was technically still a child, but the fact remained that I was still seriously impaired because of my terror.

"Face me," were the two words that I could make out from the Vasto Lorde.

I laughed, "Huh?"

"I want you to fight me," The Vasto Lorde said. Takeshi Yagami, I guessed, was what he said his name was.

"I'd be more than happy to oblige you," I managed, rising to my feet with a little difficulty, "But why?"

"Because your friend over there said that you were stronger then he was," Takeshi said, jabbing a taloned finger at the Fifth Seat, "And he was actually entertaining."

I took a deep breath and drew my sword from my shoulder, the rasping of the metal as it left the scabbard echoing in my ears, "Then let's go, if you want to fight me so badly."

Takeshi grinned, "Fighting me without even releasing that sword of yours? Do you think that I would be so weak as to deserve that dishonor?"

I looked down at the single blade, then to the slight shimmer of the Bakudo that had my second sword from Takeshi's senses. I'd forgotten that he couldn't see it. Without my second sword, I doubt I'd be able to release my Shikai without my second sword. But at the same time, I wanted to lull my opponent into a false sense of security so that when I revealed the existence of that second sword, I would have a chance to strike while he was off guard. This was why I was thankful for the fact that I knew Kido so well, and for the high amount of spirit energy that I now possessed thanks to all the training I had been doing for the past eight months. I took a deep breath and thrust my free hand into the proper position as I yelled.

"Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!"

The pale fire rushed towards Takeshi and crashed into his form. I didn't wait around to see the effects of the spell, instead choosing this time to slip into a Flash Step to try and get the drop on him while he was busy clearing the smoke created by the spell. Takeshi growled in irritation as he swathed away the haze, his vision flicking from side to side as he searched for me. When he found me, I was already slicing a gash across his chest before Flashing away again. I repeated this at least five times, making the Hollow angrier with every strike. I slashed at his legs, the tendons, and his chest until he swatted me away. I almost slammed into a tree, but flipped myself around in the air so that my feet planted on the bark of the tree and I used that as a launch pad to strike again. The tails of my scarf and my white hair whipped behind me as I soared towards the Hollow. He braced for me strike, but found that I had reappeared behind him and stabbed his back quickly before slipping away. The hollow roared and Sonido'ed towards me with shocking speed.

"You think taking pot shots at me is going to work, girl?" Takeshi laughed as his claws slashed at the air I just disappeared from.

"No, but what I meant to use it for worked, though," I said, using my Flash Step to slice deep gashes into Takeshi's hide before slipping away to charge my next attack, "Hado No. 31 Shakkaho!"

The fireball crashed into the Hollow, directly on one of the deep gashes I made before it had time to heal.

Takeshi groaned in pain, turning to look at me, "You are impressive girl. You are only a child and you have done more damage then all of the Lieutenants and Captains that I have fought before, and I haven't even seen you release your sword. Granted, you knew how strong I was before you even tried to strike, and then planned ahead, but it still makes you that much more intriguing. How about I force you to release that sword \so we can skip this stupid warm up?"

_Warm up? _I thought before I was forced to my knees because of a sudden rush of evil spiritual pressure. Takeshi had taken of one of the four strange looking bracelets I'd overlooked. His spiritual pressure increased immensely, almost making me lose my breath. I stood up and positioned my hands in the right position as best I could as I yelled, "Bakudo No. 4 Hainawa!"

The Bakudo wrapped around his arms and pinned them to his back as I soared forwards to strike. Takeshi suddenly broke through the bindings and sent a fist to block the slash of my sword. It was then that I ripped away the fabric of the Bakudo concealing my second sword, gripped the hilt, and struck at the Hollow with a fast draw slash as soon as the tip of my blade had exited the scabbard. The deep gash that resulted gushed blood all over my body, splattering on the left side of my face. Takeshi grunted, shoving me away with his free hand as he grinned evilly. He didn't seem to be affected at all by that or any of my attacks. The wound took a little longer to heal then the others, but that was the only difference. So much for my trump card, I thought. In fact, the sight of my second sword only made my situation worse then before. Takeshi took off yet another one of his restraints with a grin. The pressure of his power was just as hard to cope with as the last time. He slipped into a Sonido, and before I could blink, I was being kicked from behind into the air. The wind was knocked out of me and I was stunned by the force of his strike. Then he appeared in my flight path and kicked me a again, cracking a rib in the process. Then again, again and again until finally, he hit my on the head with a double ax-handle punch to in between my shoulder blades that sent me at an immense speed into the hard packed sands of the Menos Forest.

I couldn't breathe, both from the attacks and that my head was partially buried unto the sands I laid in. Grunting, I stood. Surprised slightly to see that my body had made a massive crater on impact. Takeshi was standing at its edge, baring down on me with his maddening grin. I sighed, resigning myself to giving this brute what he wants. Even if that was to fight a child, in essence. I spread my footing to shoulder-width apart, reversing the grip on my left sword. I saw the shadow flames of my Shikai's release ignited and spread across the sands of the crater I stood in as I plunged the blade into the ground. Takeshi looked surprised at the sudden increase of darkness on the sands of the Menos Forest, though he didn't seem all that impressed at the display. Next, slamming the butt end of my right sword on top of the left, the white flame-like spiritual pressure of the sword mixing with the shadow flames of the other.

"_Splinter, Hikari no Tenshi!_"

A flash of light, a cloud of dust, a rush of spiritual power, and I found myself standing before Takeshi with my right sword completely white from blade to hilt and glowing, while the other sword was completely black and the blade burning with the shadowy flame spiritual pressure of its release. Takeshi was grinning even wider now, looking eerily excited for the next few moments.

_Master, _Hikari's soft and soothing voice sounded, _I thought you would like to know that you'll only be able to manage to use the light speed ability about three times before you will not have enough energy to execute again. _

_Thanks for the heads-up, Hikari,_ I responded, squatting down in preparation for my strike, _And I believe I told you not to call me 'Master'._

I surged forward, slashing with a lighting fast strike from my right sword. I spun in mid air, the slash biting into Takeshi's arm as he blocked. As Takeshi sidestepped at the same time as that block, I rotated just enough for a surprise strike with my left sword. The shadow blade sliced into Takeshi's chest, accompanied by his subsequent grunt of pain. I righted my self just before I hit the ground, pushing off the sands in a Flash Step just in time to avoid Takeshi's retaliatory strike. His fist slammed into the group, making a crater were I was not even a second ago. I heard him slip into a Sonido and give chase after me. I added in a special step, causing me to suddenly stop and race the other why without my breaking a stride. Catching the Hollow off guard, I hit him in the face with a double strike. The right blade hit just above were his eye should be, and the left hit just below. The result was a part of the Hollows mask was shattered, his momentum causing me to spin around and slam into a nearby tree.

As I recovered on a branch that I landed on, I realized that Takeshi's presence was no where to be found. I looked around, blinking to make sure I was seeing straight. To lose the presence of one like Takeshi would be like forgetting how to breathe entirely. Then it hit me. The realization that there was a sorrowful feeling on my sword that I could feel myself. It was like the most lonely feeling I had ever felt in my life. I looked down to see that my swords had some of Takeshi's blood still on them. Was that how he felt all the time, since there was no one to challenge him for so long? Could it be so bad that he would be trying to find some one stronger then him so that he may die in battle without that loneliness? That was the feeling I got from Takeshi's attacks. A sort of wild, and desperate out lashing of his power in order to provoke his opponent to use all of their strength to kill him. I felt pity for him now, without my realizing it immediately, since he was as lonely as he was. And I empathasized how that must feel, because I had to go through that kind of loneliness when I was only at the physical age of six or seven.

He appeared out of a Sonido just as his strike slammed into my stomach, shattering my train of thought and my rib cage. I flew across the Menos Forest, the shock wave from the strike blowing up the sands below. I caught my breath before I could hit anything, righting myself so that I could land on a branch quietly. The pain in my stomach thanks to that attack was threatening to make me double over, and it made my knees weak. My breath hitched, my eyesight blurred. I pushed off in a Flash Step, weary of the presence of Takeshi as it drew closer and closer to mine. As he got close enough, I turned around, extending my index finger from my left sword and aimed it at the Hollow's signature as I shouted, "Hado No. 4: Byakurai!"

The lighting surged out of my finger and struck Takeshi just as he appeared from his Sonido. Smoke exploded from the impact, Takeshi's growl of annoyance accompanying the loud explosion of the spells power. Much to my shock, the spell had no effect. In fact, it served only to anger the Vasto Lorde further. Before I even knew what had happened, I was on the ground with Takeshi's clawed foot shoving my head into the sands with at least three broken bones from a series of punches that happened in the time it took for my body to fall to the ground. I concentrated, using my Shikai's ability to appear behind Takeshi. I ignored the pain gripping my body long enough to slice through a good portion of his tendons. With those severed, I used my two swords to deal a massive amount of damage to Takeshi's back. I released a relentless torrent of slashes and strikes, throwing in a kick or elbow strike on those new wounds to make them more painful. But before I could finish, Takeshi's clawed hand was sweeping back to catch my sword. I escaped with another one of my uses of my Shikai, appearing before him and slicing the Hollow's chest three times before fleeing to the trees in a Flash Step.

I couldn't get far, the two successive uses of my Shikai's ability held true Hikari's warning. I only had enough energy for one more use before I wouldn't be able to use it. I had no idea how long it would take for me to regain that energy lost, but I knew I'd much rather make use of that energy as Flash Steps and Kido spells. There was also the fact that I wouldn't want to run out of energy regardless with this monster of a Hollow as my opponent. Panting slightly, I leaped out of the way of a Cero that wiped out the tree limb had stood on seemingly the instant after I left it. The blood red erasing energy beam continued on, exploding a good distance away. The rush of wind that came with the impact of the Cero whipped my hair and the twin tails of my scarf dramatically as I stood in the sands of the forest and looked Takeshi in the eyes, my swords causing my features to be cast in light and shadow.

"Is this what you wanted, Takeshi Yagami?" I asked, letting the frustration I felt for the situation into my voice, "You just want to fight everyone until you find some satisfaction in it? Can you find satisfaction in it?"

He laughed, "Satisfaction? Please. I only want to fight because it's the only time that I feel alive!"

"Then how can I possibly be of use to you in that case?" I raised an eyebrow, "I am a child!"

"Age doesn't determine whether or not your are a worthy opponent," Takeshi chuckled, "You yourself are an example of that."

I sighed, "What's going to happen when this fight is over, huh? Are you going to skewer me on a branch like my comrade?"

"Who? Daiki?" Takeshi asked, "No, not like him. He was getting on my nerves with his stabbing-me-in-the-back-then-escaping-before-I-could-touch-him crap."

"How am I any different from him then?" I asked, reviewing the average placement of my strikes on his body.

"You are actually interesting," Takeshi said, "You are a child, yet you are firing spells and cutting me as if you were a Lieutenant. No matter what I do I can't seem to stop you from hitting me. It's irritating, but it makes this fight interesting. For you to fight me while I'm at half my strength level, and do all of that, hasn't happened in a long while."

Then I sensed a familiar presence that made my eyes widen. Takeshi saw this uncharacteristic change in my emotionless expression, and cocked his head to the side in confusion before he too felt the presence. Then he grinned like a shark and looked me straight in the eyes, "If I defeat you, will it make that Soul Reaper that's coming want to fight me?"

I saw where he was going with that and blinked, "I would think it would. He is my brother, after all."

"Good," Takeshi said, "Then I'm going to have to cut this fight short, then Soul Reaper, because your brother seems to be the most powerful one I've met since I started fighting you all."

I braced myself as Takeshi flew forwards, taloned hands slashing at me. He sent a torrent of strikes with his own sort of Hakuda style, something that couldn't have come from anything else but his own fighting instinct. I blocked with my swords, my forearms, and my shins as best I could, but he still was able to hit me three or four times. An enormous strike sent me into a tree. The impact was so great that cracks in the tree created a halo of vein-like fissures around me. The dent in the tree was large enough to support my body. And since I didn't exactly have to energy to jump back into the fight, I allowed myself to remain in the tree for few moments. A rush of energy seemed to return to me, as if my body had decided it had been long enough since the beginning of my exhaustion. Taking advantae of this new energy, I pushed off of the tree, making the cracks deeper and longer in the process. I surged towards Takeshi with my dead serious expression mixed with anger, my swords shimmering in their respective black and white energies. Takeshi maintained his shark like grin, pushing off the ground to meet my attack halfway with his own. Much to Takeshi's surprise, I threw my swords into the sands below and gathered energy on the index and middle fingers of both my hands.

I whispered the incantations as fast and accurately as I could, with Takeshi's blood red Cero already being charged as well, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. Hado No. 73: Soren Sokatsui!"

The enormous pale blue torrent of Kido exploded out of my palms as I made a pushing motion towards my opponent to direct that blast. The pale blue met with the blood red Cero and they amazingly formed into a violet mass before exploding harmlessly between us. Not having the time to grab my swords from where they stood out of the sands, I switched to my Hakuda techniques.

"Hado No. 1: Sho." I said, aiming the spell at the center of Takeshi's body. The sudden punch of pressure to his chest threw him off balance long enough to give me a window of opportunity. I torqued my body, sending a side kick to his face. When that made contact, I twisted even more and brought my other leg in for a follow up strike to the same spot. When I saw that he was about to grab the offending limb, I redirected it so that it him in the neck hard. I straightened my leg, creating a pivoting point so that my body flew away from the Hollow just before he could recover. We both landed on the sands, me on my feet and Takeshi on his back. He growled, chuckling evilly as he got to his feet and ran towards me. I forced some of my energy into my feet and legs and pushed off of the ground vertically to escape his strikes. But that only put me in a indefensible position as he simply jumped up to meet me. I crossed my forearms before me in a blocking position and awaited his strike

He slid into a Sonido and appeared just before his punch hit the follow through. The result was my body hitting that very same tree as before, but this time taking the massive object crumbling down. I fell to the ground, in the shadow of my swords and they stood up from the sands next to my head. The light blade glowing, looking ever brighter as it stood next to the shadow blade. _My swords! _I realized, grinning under my scarf. I picked myself up quickly, grabbed the swords in my hands and readying myself for the next round. They glowed, or in the case of my shadow blade shimmered, even more as I touched them.

Takeshi was slowly approaching me, noticing that I was barely able to stand upright and was running out of my second wind very quickly. The Soren Sokatsui had taken an enormous amount of energy on my part, with it being a double incantation and a level seventies spell as well. I was breathing heavily, feeling to same level of exhaustion as when I had trained with Ichigo while he wasn't going easy at all on me but not at full power. That was combined with the same drained feeling I got when I had trouble executing the Captain level Kido when Rukia had first started to teach it to us. Overall, I honestly doubted my ability to keep my eyes open, much less fight someone such as Takeshi.

_Mast- Misami, _Hikari said, _Cut his shadow. _

_What? _I thought back, incredulous.

_Cut his shadow, Misami. Just trust me, _Hikari said.

_Uh, okay then. I guess I got nothing to lose now, _I mentally shrugged.

I pushed off, running on fumes as I raced towards my opponent once again. Takeshi grinned as wide as I had ever seen him do so, his clawed hand swatting me out of the air before I could react. I blinked, the pain not registering as I realized that Takeshi had hit me out of mid air while I was in the middle of a Flash Step. That wasn't supposed to be possible! Had he sped up himself to match my speed? Did he have some sort of ability that I didn't know about and that he had been hiding until now? What had just happened?

"Why did you slow down, Soul Reaper?" Takeshi said, sighing as he planted his foot in between my shoulder blades and pressed. Hard.

"What?"

"I could see your every move, girl," Takeshi said, almost bored, "Have you used up so much energy that you can't keep up your pace?"

_Crap, _I thought. Then I saw my chance. There was his shadow, blanketing my form as he loomed over me. It was impossible to miss. All I had to do was stab the ground next to me and-

"What the-?!" Takeshi said, a blade sized hole appearing exactly where I had stabbed his shadow. As he moved off of me and stumbled back in surprise, the cut corresponded with his shadow, and sliced up to his shoulder. Blood gushed from the deep wound, but only until the Hollows healing kicked in and the wound was sealed. But the effect of the wound was that Takeshi seemed to have to take a deep breath before looking down at me with anger.

"I hate deception, Soul Reaper," Takeshi said, growling, "Wrong move."

He released one of the bands around his ankle and then suddenly felt the familiar rush of power as his strength seemed to double yet again. I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness as the over bearing energy of the Hollow was seemingly too much for my body, in its now weakened state, for me to handle. But I felt another energy presence, one of a Captain that had completed my dream of having a family. One that had given me almost everything that I owned, and to whom I owed my life. But his presence wasn't the calm and collected pressure that I had grown used to. It was plagued with an anger that both scared me, and made me grateful that I wasn't going to be on the receiving end of it. It also had a trace of worry and sympathy for someone. Selfishly, I smiled as I thought it was for me. Hoped that it was for me. Because I only wanted for him to be satisfied, and I wanted to pay him back for everything that he had done for me. But for him to care for me like he would Rukia, as Rukia did for me, the very thought made me smile.

"What are you grinning about, Soul Reaper?"

"I am Thirteenth Squad, Fourth Seat Misami Kuchiki," I managed, my words still firm as I lost consciousness, "And you'll find out why soon enough, Takeshi."

* * *

Takeshi looked down as the girl, Misami, went limp as she fell into the clutches of unconsciousness. She had seemed so at peace despite the fact that she lay broken before him. Like she really expected something pleasant was about to happen. Was that presence drawing closer really that strong? Speaking of that presence, it was fast approaching. It was accompanied by a Lieutenant level Soul Reaper as well. He seemed to be heading straight for him. Takeshi looked down at the girl again. Her scarf covered up the lower half of her face, making her expression almost unreadable. She held one sword in her right hand, the one she had held in her left was jutting out of the group where she had stabbed at Takeshi's shadow. She seemed just as young as she was when she was asleep. The white tekko she wore on her arms astonishingly didn't have any damage to them despite their fight. Her white hair was strewn about messily around her head in a sort of halo. Takeshi saw that she had a scar, barely hidden by the scarf, on her right cheek bone. He would remember her face, he had to. He owed her at least that much for the entertaining fight they had just finished.

"Are you the one that put that girl in such a sorry state?" A stern voice said behind Takeshi.

Takeshi turned to face his new challenger, eyeing him expectantly, "I might have, yes. What's it to you?"

The man drew his sword, "I am Captain of Squad Six, Byakuya Kuchiki."

"And th-"

"Scatter, Senbonzakura," The Hollow was interupted by the sight of a thousand cherry blossoms suddenly falling from the sky.

Takeshi laughed, his chest heaving as he couldn't believe how stupid it was for someone to come and fight him with flower petals. But the Captain was not amused int the slightest. He was ten times more indifferent then Misami, something Takeshi would have said was impossible five minutes ago. There was something in the man's eyes that reminded Takeshi of Misami. Ironically, it was the fact that there was nothing there that was similar between the two Soul Reapers, in that both didn't show any emotion. It annoyed Takeshi not to see the fear in the eyes of his opponents, the lack of it diminishing the joy fighting brought. With that gone, and flower petals fluttering about the deathly air of the Menos Forest, Takeshi could only laugh at how much of a disappointment this had been.

Then Takeshi found his breath hitching as a thousand deep gashes opened on his flesh and gushed blood. He fell to his knees without realizing it, coughing up blood in the process. Thankfully, in his case, the swords masquerading as flower petals had cut away the sealing bands on his ankles releasing his full power in a torrent of energy. The Captain grunted slightly at the increase of energy, but was otherwise unaffected by the change in pressure. The petals of his Shikai surged towards the Vasto Lorde, the rush of their deadly force filling Takeshi's hearing. He stepped into a Sonido to try and escape the assault of the Captain. That didn't stop them from biting into his body yet again. The blood loss was getting to him, and it was angering Takeshi to no end. He redirected his body and performed the same attack that had worked on Misami beforehand. He appeared from a Sonido just in time for the punch he cocked back in the mean time to connect. He hit the man in the stomach and sent him flying.

Only a grunt of pain was Takeshi's reward for the strike, much like Misami. Man, he didn't like fighting Kuchikis it this is what they were all like. Byakuya stood and gestured to Takeshi, a torrent of petals responded to his command and rushed towards him. Takeshi proceeded to put more energy into his Sonido than before, appearing before Byakuya again, but then flanking him to the right for a left hook. The strike put the Captain to the ground, but didn't seem to do much else besides put a menacing glint in his eyes.

"I'll have you know that what you are about to see is only shown to _worthy _adversaries, of which you are not," Byakuya said, "It is a thousand years too soon for you too see the ultimate form of my Zanpakuto."

"What are you-" Takeshi growled, but was cut off with the strange sight of the Soul Reaper _dropping _his sword to the ground. Was that a trait that all Kuchiki's shared?

But as soon as the tip of the blade touched the ground, it was enveloped in the ground as if passing through reality, causing a rippling effect, "Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageioshi."

Two rows of massive swords rose out of the ground, seeming to be thousands of them. Then they turned into the same flower petals of his Shikai. They swirled around him and around the Captain. Takeshi groaned in a annoyance as he saw the swirl of petals, "So there's more of them?"

A wave was formed by the petals and Byakuya made them crash down onto the Vasto Lorde. They sliced through his skin, digging into his flesh painfully. The wave pushed him back into a tree with enough force to topple the unfortunate object. Byakuya then proceeded to create an infinite cycle of petals, the swords hitting the Hollow from every conceivable angle every moment over and over again until it left, after five minutes, Takeshi stunned and on his knees. The swarm of his attack subsided as Byakuya spoke in a harsh tone of voice, anger evident in his regal tones, "You have attacked and harmed one of my most beloved, Hollow. It is because of this that I will punish you most severely. Gokei Senbonzakura Kageioshi."

Suddenly Takeshi found himself in a massive sphere of pink swirling blades. In his weakened state, there was absolutely no escaping whatever that Soul Reaper Captain had just done. There were no visible blind spots or weaknesses of any kind in this form. There seemed to be even more blades then that of when he first released his Bankai. Takeshi found himself aggravated by the power of his opponent over him, the Zanpakuto he wielded left nothing open and could attack from every angle. It seemed that there would be no beating this Soul Reaper without his being at full power. Something that a certain smaller Kuchiki had made impossible with her own efforts beforehand. Takeshi cursed as the sphere started to collapse in on itself, leaving him less and less room to move without getting cut by the irritating wall of swirling blades. Until the sphere completely imploded and caused a massive shock wave that forced even Byakuya to Flash away from the epicenter. Pain couldn't even begin to describe how horrible Takeshi felt in the wake of that attack. He was still in one piece, he was just now wishing that he wasn't.

Byakuya stood before Takeshi, who was appearing to bow before him on his hands and knees with blood soaking the area around him, "If it is for the sake of my pride, there is nothing I won't destroy. You have made the mistake of attacking my pride."

"The girl is your pride?" Takeshi managed, looking over to the now stirring girl.

"Her and her sister are my only pride," Byakuya had responded.

He materialized a sword out of his cherry blossom petals and drew it back, aiming it at Takeshi's neck, "Now, fall."

But just as the razor sharp blade of the Captain was about to strike, Takeshi found that someone was blocking him from the attack. He saw that the suspect was short, with white tekko adorning her arms, the shortened sleeves of her Shihakusho rustling along with her white hair and the twin tails of her scarf from the speed of her Flash Step. Misami Kuchiki had spared him the death that had stared him in the face. Why? He had only used her for the entertaining fight that she had provided for him, then cast her aside with a flair of his power when he realized that a better opponent had arisen to challenge him. Now, as soon she had regained consciousness and realized what had happened, she had saved him. He couldn't make sense of it.

"Misami," Byakuya said in a neutral tone, something there that only Misami seemed to be able to pick up on in his voice, "Explain yourself."

"He isn't fighting us because he wants to hurt us, Brother," Misami's equally neutral, yet softer voice, responded. "He is like Captain Zaraki, of Squad Eleven. HE only wishes to find one that will give him a challenge in combat. I have sensed while in combat with him that he has been lonely for a thousand years. I can empathize his lonliness. I ask that you spare him and take him prisoner instead of killing him."

"Do you have any evidence to prove that he doesn't wish to harm us?" Byakuya inquired.

"He did not kill any of the seated officers, Lieutenants, or Captains that he has faced, since they offered up a challenge to him at least," Misami responded, "I see potential for him to be an ally to us, Brother. I think that he will agree to side with us if we offer him to spar with the Eleventh Squad in exchange for his loyalty."

"Are you going to take responsibility for him if he causes more trouble then he is worth?"

"Yes, of course, Brother," Misami responded with a nod.

"Fine then," The rasp of Byakuya's sword sliding into his scabbard, "Renji, take the Hollow Prisoner."

The red headed Lieutenant blinked, having arrived only moments ago and having just finished setting down the wounded Daiki from the branch he had been impaled on, "But, Captain-"

Both of the Kuchikis gave him a look that left him only one option: Follow orders. Renji gently let down the Fifth Seat of the Thirteenth Squad and went over to the Hollow. Then, with a solid hit to the Vasto Lorde's temple. knocked Takeshi out. He hefted the massive Hollow onto his back. Misami Flashed over to Daiki and picked him up, looking over to her brother, "We're ready, Brother."

"Excellent," The Noble Clan head said, opening the Garganta, "Then let us return to the Soul Society."


	12. The Sentence of Half a Millenia

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry for the wait! My laptop is having some issues right now, so I had to finish the last half of the chapter from my phone. So if there's a bunch of errors, you know why! In any case, here the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Thank you, Daemonia Azrael Di Oz, for reviewing! I'm sorry for the wait, I hope that you'll enjoy as much as you did the rest of the story!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! I'm happy that you liked the last chapter, I bet this one will be just as awesome!**

**Thank you, nega xp, for reviewing! To answer your question, right now!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bkeach, only the idea, the plot, and my OCs.**

I looked around the Squad Four infirmary, my arms crossed over my chest as I stood guard over Takeshi. It had been a long time since our fight, and my saving him. I had been assigned, by the request of Byakuya, to watch over the Vasto Lorde until he was sentenced by Central 46. I was only afforded a few moments rest every so often, in an attempt to prove to my brother that I was serious about my responsibilities. I was supposed to lead him to Central 46 within a week, the scheduled date for his sentencing for Takeshi.

Rukia had stopped by after the first few hours, keeping me company with a basket of some rice rolls. Ichigo came the next day. I was even visited by Captain Ukitake. But they all had duties to attend to today. I still did a double take when I saw Ichigo walk into the room wearing his sleeveless Captains Haori flowing like a cape as he walked. Equally surprised to see the Lieutenant's badge of the Fifth Squad on her left arm. A lot had happened since I left a month or two ago. Ichigo and Rukia seemed even closer then before, though they were bickering as usual. They both seemed really happy to work together. Which, in turn, made me happy that they were working together. Rukia wore that badge with pride and honor, and Ichigo made it look as if he always had worn the Captains coat. I felt truly gifted to know them, but to see how far they actually were in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads almost made me blink in surprise.

"Yo, Misami!" Takeshi growled, "How much longer!"

"Five minutes less since the last time you asked me, Takeshi," I growled in response, knowing that the Hollow was as bored as I was.

"Can't we spar or something?" The Vasto Lorde whined, tugging at the manacles and seals that restricted his movement and spiritual pressure immensely, bringing his power all the way down to the level of the average Rukkon District citizen, "This is so annoying."

"It's what you get for trying to kill two Kuchiki's in one night," I shrugged, "And beating up practically half of the Lieutenants and a Captain."

"That's no fair!" Takeshi groaned, "The only fun ones were when you came, anyways."

"Thanks for the complement," I said, "And from proving my point."

"Oh, shut up, pint-size," Takeshi said irritably.

"I AM NOT SHORT!" I roared suddenly, in response to the tenth time of his calling me so.

"Yes, you are," Takeshi grinned through the sealing mask he was forced to wear.

Both of us knew I couldn't do anything to him, so I just seethed and stared at him in an attempt to intimidate him to stop. But Takeshi never scared easy. But regardless of that, he had lightened up towards me in the few days that we'd been sort of forced to spend together. He told about his life back in Hueco Muendo, of how boring and lonely it was for him despite having a few underlings that he basically kept as pets. I, in turn, told him about my life in the Soul Society, leaving out the part that I had been recruited from the 78th West Rukkon District since it brought too many painful memories of my past. I could tell that Takeshi withheld some of the sensitive information too, probably for the same reason.

"Anyways," I said, "So, I think that the next time we're visited, that's when I'm taking you to your sentencing."

"I can't believe that I have to go through this," Takeshi sighed, pulling futilely against his bindings, "It's annoying."

"I heard you the first ten times, Takeshi," I sighed, "I know it's annoying."

"So those two Soul Reapers that I heard were from the Fifth Squad," Takeshi said, "Who were they?"

"Oh, the Captain was Ichigo Kurosaki," I said, "And the Lieutenant was Rukia Kuchiki."

"So the Lieutenant is your sister?" Takeshi said, "The only thing I thought you two looked alike was from how you dress, and how short you both are."

"Ha ha very funny muscle head," I rolled my eyes, restraining myself from jumping into the cage to punch him for the insult, "And I was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan a few months ago."

"Adopted, eh?" Takeshi seemed to shrug as best he could in the restraints he was in, "Makes sense. The only Kuchiki's I've seen besides you got black hair."

I nodded, "Yup."

The restraints that the Twelfth Squad cooked up were sealing Takeshi's power so that it actually was easy to be around him. When we fought, I had to put a lot of my effort into just standing upright close to him, and that had made it even harder to battle him like I did. Takeshi was squirming quite a lot, like not being able to move barely at all made him uneasy. I was slouched on the special stone walls of the prison, my arms crossed and my face nuzzled into my scarf. A stray strand of white hair slipped over my ear and appeared in my field of view. I tucked the unruly strand back where it came from, before my right eye would be covered again by my bangs. There was food on a small stool, my dinner. A bread roll, some not-too-appetizing curry, and a small glass of tea. The Vasto Lorde was not brought any food, since he did not need sustenance in the normal sense.

Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door, "Misami! You sleeping on the job? Open up!"

I rolled my eyes, "Can it, Ichigo! I'm coming!"

The door opened to reveal the carrot top Captain of Squad Five, the hilt of his sealed sword jutting out from his right shoulder, along with his Lieutenant who happened to use a Flash Step to tackle me in a hug. "Hey, Misami! We finished the paperwork early, so we both decided to visit you."

"That's great, Rukia," I smiled at my sister, noting that I was still half a head or shorter then her, "I'm glad you had the time!"

"It was my idea, Midget!" Ichigo rolled his eyes, "So don't take credit—Ow!"

With a solid punch to the stomach from me, and a hard kick to the shin from Rukia, we put the Fifth Squad Captain to his knees as we yelled in unison, "I am not short!"

"Okay, okay!" Ichigo held up his hands, "Man, Rukia, you rubbed off on her way too much."

I rolled my eyes, "You just don't like getting beat up by two girls instead of one, Strawberry."

"God, you guys are annoying," Takeshi growled, cutting off Ichigo's retort.

Ignoring the Hollow, I hurled myself at Ichigo, hugging him at the waist, my feet dangling as I did so thanks to the difference in our heights, "I'm happy to see you, Ichi."

He hugged back, "Me too Misami. I hope my dad wasn't too crazy around you."

I laughed, "He was his normal not normal self, of course. But he made each day interesting to say the least."

Ichigo groaned, "I swear I'm nothing like him."

I rolled my eyes, "What ever you say, Ichigo."

I released him and gave Rukia the same tight hug, though I was able to give her a normal one since I wasn't that much shorter. I held that embrace for a good while, but was interrupted by the Hollow clearing his throat rather loudly, "So you going to have an ice cream social right in front of me now?"

"What's ice cream?" I asked innocently.

"Wait," Ichigo said, all but ignoring Takeshi's comment, "You lived in the Living World for a month with my family and you still don't know what ice cream is?"

I giggled nervously, burying my face into my scarf to hide my embarrassed blush, "...Maybe?"

"Wow...Just wow," Ichigo shook his head.

"I know what I'm going to get you next time we go to the Human World!" Rukia smiled slightly.

"Is it that good?" I asked, turning towards them.

Rukia nodded, "Ichigo got me some on our first...date."

A blush lit up on both of their faces the instant the last word reached their ears. They looked at each other, then quickly looked away before they would die of embarrassment. Their relationship had gotten even more serious then the casual brush of the hand that sent them both to be as red as Ichigo's namesake. Now, as I've talked about it with Rukia when we were alone and Takeshi had fallen into a light slumber, they were regularly going out to shop or to relax on a hill in the Rukkon whenever there wasn't anything that they had an obligation to do. Rukia always smiled unconsciously when she talked about the carrot top, as if she couldn't help but feel happy at the mere thought of him. When I had prodded her in of they had kissed yet, she blushed so much I could have sworn steam was coming out of her ears as she denied that had happened in adamant detail. When I asked the same of Ichigo, he actually turned away from me as he blushed just as much as his girlfriend. Now, as they found the courage to look back into each other's eyes, I started to snicker. As far as my position in their relationship was concerned, I was the sibling that always gave them both a hard time about how they acted around one another. I was excited to see if they would eventually get married, since I saw how great of a couple they were together, so I always supported the choices that would lead to the both of them being happy.

"Shut up, Misami!" Ichigo growled in response to my giggling, "It's not like you go on dates every day or something!"

I stopped laughing that instant, giving Ichigo a slightly vexed look, "Because I'm eleven, Strawberry."

"...Whatever," Ichigo grumbled, discretely conceding the point.

"Ha!" Takeshi suddenly laughed, "You just bot burned by a kid, Captain!"

Ichigo turned to the Hollow, his normal scowl as present as ever, "The kid that happened to save your life."

"Nice comeback, carrot top." Takeshi rolled his eyes.

There was a knock on the door, suddenly, interrupting whatever anyone was going to say. I sighed, rising from where I was to get the door, "Yes, who is it?"

"Open up, Misami!" A gruff voice rumbled from behind the wooden door, "Ichigo's in there and he still has fought me yet!"

"Calm down, Kenny," I sighed, "It's not like he's going to go anywhere, since you're blocking the only exit."

"Misami!" A voice that was a much more energetic version of my own soft and childish one, yelled with joy.

"Hey, Yachiru!" I said, throwing open the door and tackling the pink haired Lieutenant from the massive Eleventh Squad Captain's shoulder, "I missed you!"

We landed and rolled a good five feet down the hall, giggling like the kids we were. Kenpachi had temporarily forgotten about the two of us, his eyes boring holes into Ichigo as he advanced, demanding, "Let's go Ichigo! Your a Captain now, so act like it!"

"Just because I'm a Captain doesn't mean that I have to fight you, Kenpachi!" Ichigo yelled, "Your crazy!"

"Fight me!" Kenpachi bellowed.

I hopped off of Yachiru, helping her up and giving her a big hug, "So how's it going?"

"Oh, good!" the pink haired girl beamed, "Kenny beat up Baldy in a fight yesterday!"

I giggled, "For 'training purposes', right?"

"Yup!" She smiled, "So when are you going to visit the Squad again, Misami?"

"I was going to visit after Takeshi got his sentence," I reassured her, "I promise."

"Yay!" She exclaimed, "'Cause Baldy wanted to fight you from the moment he heard about you!"

I cocked an eyebrow, leading her back into the cell room where Rukia was trying to convince Kenpachi to at least wait until they left the cell block before he challenged Ichigo to a fight. Meanwhile, Takeshi was letting both of them know that he'd be more then happy to take Ichigo's place in the fight with Kenpachi. I walked back into the room, sighing as the loudness of the heated argument between the two Captains reached my ears at full blast. I was used to it, since Kenpachi made it very clear in his visits to Ichigo when I was with him over the school break that he was going to fight him one of these days, since those arguments always ended up with Ichigo and Kenpachi yelling and with the former chasing the latter all throughout the Seireitei. But being in a small, dim room with only small talk with a weaken Vasto Lorde had dulled my tolerance of the volume I had been used to. Not to even mention the month I spent in the Human World.

Rukia turned towards me and Yachiru, "Could you two please try to convince Captain Zaraki that he can't fight Ichigo?"

Yachiru and I giggled, speaking in unison, "You stop Kenny when he wants something bad!"

Rukia groaned verbally at the un-helpfulness of that statement as she turned back to the two Captains, "Could you two please go back outside!?"

The sudden outburst of the Fifth Squad Lieutenant stopped Ichigo in his tracks, as he stopped and looked at her, 'Uh, okay."

"Finally!" Kenpachi chuckled maniacally, "C'mon, Ichigo!"

Groaning pitifully, Ichigo sighed and followed the Eleventh Squad Captain out the door. Yachiru gleefully hopped back onto the taller man's shoulder, turning back towards me as she waved her farewell, "See you in a little while, Misami! I'm gonna go watch Kenny fight Ichi!"

"Have fun!" I called back, then turned back to Rukia, "You should probably go with, Rukia. I think that they're gonna need you somehow."

She laughed, "You're probably right, Misami. Alright, I'll see you after his sentencing."

"Bye, Rukia," I smiled, giving her a big hug.

"Bye, Misami," Rukia smiled back, turning towards the door.

And with that, I was left with the same situation of waiting in that dork room with the Vasto Lorde, whose life I had saved.

* * *

"Fourth Seat of the Thirteenth Squad, Misami Kuchiki!" Called the lead man in the Central 46.

"Sir," I reported.

"Bring the Hollow forward," The man ordered.

I motioned to the men assigned to carry the strange device that was holding Takeshi still. It was in the shape of a cross, with Takeshi crucified not with nails, but with sealing cuffs which were also attached to special weight that weighed about five pounds to the average soul, but five hundred tons to Takeshi. This was on top of the seals that had held him back in the jail cell, and with spells that were twice as strong as the normal Bakudos. One sealing cuff at each joint, one of those weights at each limb. Even with all of this, Takeshi still had the power to keep his head up and his mind focused enough to follow the conversation. In light of this, I was thankful that he was holding back when we fought. "Sir, I give you Takeshi Yagami, as requested."

"Thank you, Miss Kuchiki," The man said, "Take your place next to him for now."

"Yes, sir," I said, moving to stand beside the cross on which they had placed the Hollow.

"Takeshi Yagami?" The man began, "I'm curious at the name. Did you choose it yourself?"

"No," Takeshi said, "It was the name I was given when I was a living soul by my closest friend. It was because I enjoyed fighting and I tended to do most of it at night. Hence he gave me the name, Takeshi Yagami: 'Warrior Moon God'. Good enough of a back ground? Cause that's all I really remember."

"That will suffice," The man said, his tone betraying how creeped out he must have been because of the way Takeshi was acting, and speaking like he was going to somehow break through all of those restraints and strangle him because he dared asked Takeshi to explain himself, "Now, on to your sentence."

'Joy," I heard the Vasto Lorde mumble.

"After great consideration, we, Central 46, have decided that the Vasto Lorde Takeshi Yagami's punishment shall be five centuries of solitary imprisonment."

"That's not so bad," I said reassuringly.

Takeshi shook his head, "Not for me if their going to do what I think that their going to do."

"Take him away." The lead man said.

Takeshi looked at me with the most emotional expression he had ever used, as he whispered to me, "Bye, Misami."

Then they took him away. I didn't even get to say my own good-byes. For some reason that made me sad, almost sympathetic to him. Granted, he did slaughter far too many Soul Reapers, but I still found myself feeling bad for him regardless. The shadows engulfed him and the men carrying him away, leaving me in the middle of Central 46 awaiting my dismissal. The members of this place where all hidden from sight by boards, so I couldn't make out a single part of their faces or distinguish where the voices that were now rising up were coming from. I itched to leave but wasn't about to until I had permission. If I got on the bad side of a group of the Soul Society's most influential people, Byakuya wouldn't be too happy with it. And neither would I.

"Misami Kuchiki," A woman suddenly spoke.

Grateful, thinking that this was my permission to leave, I responded, "Yes, ma'am?"

"Might we ask why you have brought that Hollow in chains, rather than in a body bag?" She asked harshly.

"His intentions made it clear to me that he only wished to not be alone. This lead me to believe that he didn't kill those men because he's sadistic, but strategic."

"Explain, Fourth Seat."

"He knew that if he caught a bunch of smaller fish, he could use them to find the larger ones," I said, "And it seems that that was exactly the case."

"I see," She said, "And what do you hope to gain by bringing him here?"

"I wish to convince him of being an ally," I said, "Having a Vasto Lorde withing our ranks would greatly lessen the possibility of foes that will cause trouble, ma'am."

She seemed to take a few moments to contemplate the statement, "And how do you think we will be able to convince this Hollow to aid us?"

"I have already made a connection with him," I said, "I take him for the honorable type, seeing as he did not kill any women and in fact stayed to watch over the unconscious ones he defeated so that they wouldn't be taken by lesser Hollows. Myself is included in that group. If this is his personality, then he will owe me for saving his life. I plan to ask this be repaid by his allegiance to my, and, by extension, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Hopefully, while he works with us, he will make enough friends and allies to the point where he wishes to stay by choice, and not by obligation."

"Very well," The woman said, "Thank you for your time, Fourth Seat. You may go."

I bowed, "At once, ma'am. Farewell."

* * *

"Yachi!" I called, "Yachi, I'm back! Where are you?!"

I walked through the Squad Eleven Barracks calmly, despite the hungry looks I was getting from some of the members of that Squad. They were all either sparring or drinking sake, or both it seemed, and they had no trouble noticing my long white hair, the scarf and tekko I wore, or the scar on my cheek even then. They knew exactly who I was, thanks to my reputation of being as skilled as I was being blown out of proportion thanks to the incident with Takeshi, which was now known as the Vasto Lorde War. Though I doubt that that was a good enough name for the incident, it for some reason had stuck. Now, the rumors have spread to say that I was the one to beat Takeshi, even though everyone else that was before me couldn't, and that Byakuya merely was the one who wanted to kill him, which I had denied and stood my ground. Now everyone either looked at me with a sort of fear in their eyes, respect, or respect out of fear. The stoic expression that I had gained by living with the Kuchikis didn't help at all in stopping the endless tides of rumors about my exploits. I was just thankful that they were not negative rumors.

"Oh, hi, Misami!" Yachiru suddenly appeared from a Flash Step in front of me, waving with a big grin on her face.

"Hey!" I smiled back, though my lips were hidden behind my scarf. She knew that I was though, since the smile also touched my eyes.

"Baldy said he wants to fight you as soon as he's feeling better," Yachiru said, turning towards her next destination knowing that I would follow.

Of course, I did follow her, "So what'd I miss?"

"Oh, nothing!" She said cheerfully, "Kenny's just been training the Squad a lot lately."

"How's that going, anyway?" I asked, smiling behind my scarf, "Have they got ten tired yet?"

"Nope!" She giggled, "'Cause Kenny won't let 'em!"

I giggled with her until we reached the sparring grounds of the Eleventh. I followed Yachiru in a Flash Step to the top of a pillar just big enough for the two of us to fit on with plenty of leg room. I let my feet dangle off of the edge of the white stone pillar, following Yachiru's lead as we watched the squad fight each other. There was a man, with perfectly done hair and strange eyebrow feathers, fighting another member of his squad. I knew that his name was Yumichika, and that he had a very unique Zanpakuto when he released it. I had yet to acquaint myself with him, nor had I the chance to fight him. I knew, with the fighting spirit that the Eleventh Division was known for, that he wished to fight me just as much as Ikkaku Madarame wanted to spar. The rumors made me an opponent worth their time, and that in turn made me a target of their endless requests for a fight. It was because of this, I could sympathize with Ichigo over his situation with Kenpachi.

Yumichika sliced at his opponent, their swords clashing as the squad member parried the blow and let loose a kick to Yumichika's sternum. Yumichika, eyes flashing, slammed the pommel of his sword into the oncoming strike right on the ball of the squad members foot. The squad member yelped in pain from the counter, limping away as Yumichika sliced at his side. The fight ended when Yumichika redirected the sword to the squad member's neck and halted there to claim a ghosting slitting of his throat. The squad member mumbled that he yielded and limped away to the sidelines so he could get healed by the Fourth Squad members that were assigned to the area that day. I mentally noted that I had only witnessed the last moments of the that battle, so its briefness made sense.

"Hey, look guys!" Shouted a random squad member from the spectating crowd, "It's the white haired girl that took down the Vasto Lorde."

I groaned out load as all eyes looked up towards me, then I called out, "I'm just visiting, sorry!"

Yumichika stopped his fight and looked up to me, "How about a friendly spar, Fourth Seat? I'm dying to fight some one that can rival my own beauty, and I think you would possibly be worthy of that."

"I, uh," I hesitated, sort of flattered by the compliment, but shrugged as I jumped off of the pillar and onto the ground, "Fine, I guess."

My second sword was still hidden, as always, by a Kyokko. The Bakudo hid away my second sword had its spiritual pressure from view, so I was at about fifty percent my normal abilities. I pulled my scarf up over my nose so that it covered my lower face from view, something that made the physiological part of the fight much harder for my opponents since they could only go off of my eyes to see what I was thinking. And since my icy blue eyes gave away nothing but indifference thanks to the influence of Rukia and Byakuya, that made it almost impossible to tell what I was thinking. Plus it did add in a slight intimidation factor, wearing my scarf the same way Daiki did. I adjusted my tekko, then reached for the sword hilt that loomed over my right shoulder. The rasp of the metal echoed in the increasingly silent background of the sea of faces watching me draw my sword. It ended in a reverberating ring that resonated in my ears as the blade left the scabbard. The white wrappings of the hilt seemed to glow, and the sky blue tassels attached to the pommel flowed in the wind along with my white hair and the pale twin tails of my scarf. Yumichika grinned, readying his sword.

"Begin!" A squad member shouted.

I vanished in a Flash Step, appearing behind Yumichika already spinning in the air to strike with as much force as I could. I spun in the air a full three hundred and sixty degrees before I lashed out, so the strike was whip-like and strong. Yumichika's eyes widened at my speed, his body reacting on years and years of training to barely block the attack. But I bent my wrist up as much as I could, making my sword only slide across the flat of Yumichika's four blossoming blades, and dropped low while maintaining my spin. I directed a strike to his left leg as I went low. When that barely cut him, I whirled completely around and lashed out at his right leg. Yumichika jumped back in a Flash Step to dodged the strike just before it could hit. I ended up in a classic finishing pose, crouched low with my free hand on the ground in front of me for stability and my sword straight out. Yumichika looked at me and smiled.

"So you live up to your reputation, Fourth Seat," He said, getting into a fighting stance.

"For what that's worth," I said, disappearing in a Flash Step and reappearing as I whirled to strike his unguarded flank, "Thanks."

I sliced through his Shihakusho, and into his skin, but purposely withheld my blade so I wouldn't do any real damage. Yumichika turned and slashed at me, ignoring the twinge of pain that came with the superficial wound. I pointed the tip of my blade at the ground and blocked his blow. Then I moved forward, sliding my blade down the hilt of the Eleventh Division's sword. Then I twisted my sword around, bringing Yumichika's down and away with it and leaving him open to a strike. Normally, in following after my brother, I would then take this chance to fire a Hado, but I settled for a solid elbow to his nose so the Eleventh Division wouldn't get mad at my using Kido in a fight. Yumichika howled in pain, actually almost fell to his knees, and flashed his sword wildly to force me to back off. I did, Flashing away with a good portion of my maximum speed, to about ten feet of distance away in a casual stance. If I had pockets, my free hand would probably be in them. I adjusted my tekko, and my scarf, tucking a stray few strands behind my ear that had been somehow freed from the hair clips that I wore just as I did in the Human World. Yumichika caught his breath quickly, not taking long at all to race towards me with his sword high for an overhead strike to my small frame.

I readied myself, flipping my sword around with a small toss to a reverse grip, "Having fun?"

He seemed far more angrier then the last time he spoke, "No one harms my beautiful face and gets away with it!"

He slammed down the blow. I put up my sword arm, forcing my blade to be pressed against my forearm as I blocked. What I didn't expect was for him to lash out in a kick immediately after the strike hit. Right when the sword hit, the impact coupled with the kick, threw me to the ground hard on my back. As soon as I hit the ground, I threw my feet up and forced my momentum to be directed upwards. This let me basically bounce straight back up. But the resulting disorientation caused me to lose my bearings and the location of my adversary. Reacting on pure instinct and reflex, I whirled around one hundred eighty degrees and flipped my grip to normal in a fluid motion just in time to block a full force strike from Yumichika. Sparks flew from the powerful collision, shock waves of spiritual pressure rushed through the surrounding area and caused some of the newer squad members to lose balance and stumble to the ground. The dead lock was caused because my single sword was jammed into the nook between the strange Shikai blade of Yumichika. I pushed forward with all I was worth, throwing him off balance just enough for me to break free of the dead lock and jump into the air. He stumbled slightly, regaining his footing quickly to look up to see my double handed strike from above. I had twisted in the air, flipped my blade back around to a reverse grip in preparation for my next strike. Yumichika readied himself, jumping up to meet me half way. Within a second, I pushed off of the air and soared forward to exactly where I thought he was going to appear. I was barely wrong, with him appearing just below where I was heading at an astonishing speed.

I torqued my body so that I was flying towards Yumichika in a corkscrew fashion, and extended my sword just as I passed him. He didn't quite have the reflexes to block something at that speed, so there was a deep gash in the same exact spot I had cut him before. He grunted in pain, standing in the air and gripping his sword hard enough to turn his knuckles white. I appeared from a flash step five feet in front of him and eye level with him, "Well, I'm having fun, anyways."

"Yay! Go Misami!" Yachiru cheered, "You can do it!"

"One more round, Fourth Seat-" Yumichika began to say but was cut off by the sound of an agitated voice.

"Oh, no, you don't Yumichika!" A bald squad member in a good amount of bandages growled, "You know that I wanted to fight her!"

"Oh, don't get so mad, Ikkaku," Yumichika said, "Neither of us were trying all that hard."

"Still," He roared, drawing his Zanpakuto, "I wanted to fight the brat!"

"Excuse me?" I said in a formal and condescending tone that would have made my brother proud, "If you mean to call a Kuchiki a 'brat' then you'll have to deal with far more then what I'm going to do to you."

He seemed taken aback by the implications of that statement, "Uh, sorry."

I turned to Yumichika, and spoke so that only he could hear, "I'm going to fight your friend, sir. I will gladly continue this sparring match at my next convenience, but it seems that he called dibs."

Yumichika smiled, "All right, just make sure to put on a beautiful show, Fourth Seat."

I nodded, my smirk hidden by my scarf, "That I will."

I let myself float slowly and gracefully to the ground, barely making a sound. I flicked my sword in a small cutting motion through the air. What was left of Yumichika's blood on my blade painted a small line of crimson dots onto the dirt in front of my feet. I looked at Ikkaku with an ice cold stare, taking in the wounds that he had and already assessing what I could exploit in the next fight. He was breathing a little more heavily then a normal person would, possibly that was because the healing process was draining him of much needed energy. But there he stood, thanks to his wish to fight me solely because of what he had heard from others. The wind picked up again, blowing my hair, the twin tails of my scarf, and the tassel on my sword dramatically.

"How do you want to do this, Third Seat Madarame?" I said, a menacing tone hidden but still present.

"How about we just skip the warm up, eh?" He said, grinning, "I wanna see that Shikai of yours!"

"I swore that I wouldn't use that unless it was absolutely necessary," I said.

"I'd say it will be necessary pretty soon," He said, smirking, "'Cause I doubt you'll be able to keep up with me without your Shikai."

I took this opportunity and slipped into a much faster Flash Step then what I had been using in my fight with Yumichika, about three fourths the maximum, and vanished from sight. Ikkaku's eyes widened as he heard my menacing tone from behind him, "I would beg to differ. You see, being trained in Hoho by the Goddess of Flash made it to where only she and the highest ranking members of the Punishment Force could move faster then me. So keeping up is actually something you will have trouble with, Ikkaku."

He wasted no time and slashed at me with his sword, I blocked it quickly. "So what then, even if I use my Shikai, you won't?"

"I made a promise to my brother that I would not use it unless it was necessary," I said, almost bored, "And I hate to break it to you, Third Seat Madarame, but I won't really need my Shikai to beat you."

Provoking him wasn't really my complete intention, but it did have it's benefits. It made the Third Seat far to angry to see reason, and he slammed the pommel of his sword to the opening of his scabbard and chanted in a fit of rage, "Extend, Hozukimaru!"

I watched as the sword turned into a staff with a small, single blade at the end, and a red plume at the other end.

I sighed, and ripped away the fabric of the Kyokko that hid my second sword from view. The Bakudo faded in the air as I revealed my hidden weapon. I heard a few gasps of surprise as I began to draw the second blade. I heard the same rasp of the metal as it left the scabbard. But it was much more harsher and unforgiving then the first time I had drawn a sword today. This was because as I drew it with my left hand, I had to aim it to deflect a blow from Ikkaku's staff weapon. I sliced at Ikkaku with my right sword, which wasn't being used in that moment. He ducked under the strike and pushed down hard on my. Since I was at the physical age of eleven or twelve, I had no where near the upper body strength to keep up with a Third Seat from the Eleventh Division. So I dropped to the ground, spinning so the I could knock aside Ikkaku's downward strike and lash out at the same time. He jumped up just over the slash to his leg, but somehow maintained a good amount of force in his strike. I barely was able to knock it aside and into the ground. I stepping into a quick Flash Step and appeared behind and above him with both my swords raised the strike in an overhead blow. Sensing me at the last moment, Ikkaku whirled around and blocked my attack just as I sent it straight for his head.

Sparks flew just like last time this happened, and I pushed down with all I could, hoping the gravity would aid me in overcoming my disadvantage in strength. Ikkaku pushed himself tot he right, therefore making me go that way too and lessening my advantage from gravity. He flung me and I landed hard on the ground. I grunted, hitting the ground in a bad way that didn't let me simply pop back up like before. I hit the ground, the breath knocked from my lungs and the impact struck my body. Ikkaku grinned and raced towards me, his spear-like blade gleaming in the morning light.

"C'mon, Misami!" Yachiru cheered, "Don't let him win like that!"

I looked over to the pink haired girl, and smirked under my scarf, "Don't worry, I'm not through yet!"

Just when Ikkaku got close enough, I kicked at his feet to knock him off balance. I had to push a good amount of spiritual pressure into my legs for it to work in my favor. He actually went up in the air. Going with the momentum that I had built up, I got to my feet and pushed off in another three-fourths-as-powerful Flash Step, my blades glinting. In a flurry of strikes delivered by my two swords, I cut Ikkaku about ten to twenty times before he completely passed me. He landed, looking almost unscathed from the attacks. But when he turned around and looked at me with widened eyes. The air stilled, and the squad members looked almost nervously from my indifferent expression to Ikkaku's slightly shocked one.

Then the result of my attack showed itself to the world. Cuts both shallow and relatively deep, started gushing suddenly with blood starting from his shoulders to he legs. His breath hitched, and the grip on his weapon tightened. The bandages that had been wrapped on his body where sliced up and fell away from his form to flutter to the ground like confetti.

"You're pretty good, kid," Ikkaku said, "I don't know why you're just a Fourth Seat if you can do that."

I sighed, "I don't look for better positions, I only look to master the one I was given."

"Funny thing is, I'd probably peg you at Lieutenant level easily," Ikkaku said, letting out a long exhale and seeming to calm down slightly from his battle adrenaline rush.

I proceeded to shrug, "Whether or not I am worthy of the title is irrelevant, Third Seat Madarame."

"What's that supposed to mean, pint-size?" Ikkaku growled at my careless dismissal of the compliment in disguise.

"Whatever you want it to mean, Baldy," I shot back immediately.

"Why you little-!" Ikkaku growled, starting to run towards me.

"That's enough, Third Seat," A hooded form appeared, a black scarf covering what the shadows of the hood didn't, "Fighting her is not only wasting her time, it i also wasting your energy. You need to return to the Fourth Squad Barracks to treat your wounds."

"Who are you?" Ikkaku asked, "Some sorta new guy from the Punishment Force?"

"No, I am Fifth Seat of the Thirteenth Squad, Daiki," He said, "And I have been given orders to bring our Fifth Seat back to our barracks."

"Oh!" Ikkaku seemed to have a rush of realization, "Your that guy that everyone talks about. The hooded assassin guy that wanted to go to the Thirteenth Squad instead of the Second. I've wanted to fight you just as bad as the kid behind you."

"I don't know if you can call her a 'kid' with what she just did to you, Third Seat," Daiki said, crossing his arms, "Regardless of the circumstances."

A few of the squad members chuckled under their breath at the jab, as Ikkaku spoke, "We were just getting started, Fifth Seat. What? You wanna take her place?"

"I have orders to accompany her," Daiki said, "But if you'll allow us to leave without my having to force you to do so I will give my word that I will give you the fight that you wish for."

"Eh, fine," Ikkaku groaned, "Just don't keep me waiting, alright?"

"As I said," Daiki said, "You have my word."

And with that, we left. I waved my goodbye to Yachiru, who reciprocated the motion. Daiki was silent, unsurprisingly, even though he had to know how confused I was.

"Thanks for that, sir," I said, "I really wasn't in the mood for a sparring match with them."

"'Sir?'" Daiki laughed, "Funny coming from one of my superiors."

"How am I your superior? All I have is a title that was given to me when I got here." I said, letting my confusion into my tone.

"You are more powerful than me, ma'am," Daiki said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the entire world, "You saved my life, as well."

"In Hueco Muendo?" I asked, trying to recall when I had pulled off such a feat.

He nodded, turning towards me, "Yes, when the Vasto Lorde had impaled me onto the tree, I doubt he would have left me there. If you hadn't intervened and stalled him long enough for your brother to arrive, then I would have surely died. And for that, I am eternally grateful."

"Alright," I said, giving him a ghost of a smile, "Then I have a few favors to ask in return for it."

"Name them," Daiki said.

"The first is that you don't call me 'ma'am'. It makes me feel old and above you, even though I am not," I said, "Okay?"

"Consider it done," Daiki nodded, "But what do you wish to be called."

"Call me Misami when we are alone or with others that call me that," I said, "But addressing me by my rank when appropriate will do just fine."

"You got it," Daiki said, giving me a thumbs up, "I assume that you want me to be more casual when it's just you and me if you want to be called by your first name despite nobility and everything else."

I nodded, "You are really smart, Daiki!"

He shrugged, "I guess I'm good at listening."

I nodded, then continued, "The second thing is that you stop wearing that hood all the time, or at least when we're alone like now."

"Why?" Daiki seemed hesitant when I said that.

"I don't know," I shrugged, looking up at him, "I just feel like you don't like me if you don't want for me to see your face."

"Oh, well, alright then," Daiki said, "Only for you, Misami, okay?"

"Aww, thanks!" I smiled at him as he flicked his hood back and his scarf down from his face. The shadows receded, drawing away from an intimidating face. A string brow that seemed to be permanently furrowed, and his mouth set in a firm line, in a seemingly everlasting scowl that would have made Ichigo proud. Blonde, spikey hair was kissed by the Suns delicate rays. His eyes were a peircing cobalt blue that seemed to notice and document everything he saw. He had a strong jaw that seemed to always be clenched. The expression on his face would ward off even the friendliest of the Soul Society. It seemed that Ichigo was not the first to use a mask of seething anger to keep unwanted attention away. But he had relented on that emotion when his eyes adjusted to the light and brought my form into focus. He smiled gently, with a jagged grin that let me know just how rarely he used it. If he just kept the scarf on his face and didn't wear the hood, though, I knew that everyone would feel at least the slightest bit paranoid. But nonetheless, he was smiling down on me.

"Better?" He asked.

I gave him a subtle smile, "Yeah, much better."

* * *

"Captain," Daiki called, knocking gingerly on the entrance to the man's pond house, "I have retrieved the Fourth Seat for you per your request."

"Thank you, Daiki," Captain Ukitake said, his response interrupted by a bout of coughing, "Did you mention what the nature of the mission was?"

"No, sir," Daiki said, "I thought you would be the one to tell her."

"I see," Ukitake said, then looked over to me and smiled warmly, "Hello, Misami."

"Hello Captain," I bowed respectively, "What do you request of me?"

"I have a mission for you, Misami," He said, "I need you and Daiki to support the Fifth Squad in a mission to the Human World."

I blinked, "What're Ichigo and Rukia going to need us for?"

"Because," Ukitake smiled even more, "You're being promoted to Third Seat of the Fifth Squad."

Despite all the training it took to maintain my cool and calm expression, I felt my jaw drop open, "Did I...Hear you right, sir?"

"You did," the white haired captain said, "Their Third Seat is the former Lieutenant of Squad Five. Since I have recently been robbed of my Lieutenant and then her replacement, I proposed trade."

"Me in exchange for Lieutenant Hinamori?"

He smiled again, "Exactly!"

"Ichigo and Rukia would've have accepted that deal right away," I smiled behind my scarf, "Was it you or Ichigo that started that conversation?"

"Ichigo, actually," Captain Ukitake said.

"I knew it," I sighed, the full brunt of the new promotion strangely not hitting me at the moment, "Do we go now?"

"Yes," Captain Ukitake nodded, coughing, "I believe that they'll be at the Senkaimon in about fifteen minutes. But I know that you two will not have any trouble in getting there thanks to your legendary Flash Step abilities, right?"

Daiki nodded, "Yes, Captain."

"Alright, Daiki," Ukiataje said, "I'm also promoting you to replace Misami as Fourth Seat. Do you accept?"

He bowed, "It would be an honor."

"Alright then," The white haired captain said, "Have fun!"

I nodded, tapping Daiko on the shoulder as I vanished in a Flash Step. I felt Daiki's spiritual pressure behind me, his steps in synch with mine as we raced for the Senkaimon. We passed over the Seireitei in relative silence, appearing and disappearing in between steps. We moved to fast, masking our spiritual pressures subconsciously, that no one even paused to show that we were even noticed. That thought made me wonder why Daiki was a part of the Thirteenth Squad instead of the Second. He acted more like an assassin then anyone else, and his abilities matched that type. His Zanpakuto, as told by Takeshi, is a Shadow type. An infinite amount of throwing knives that he could make out of shadow with which he could use perfectly to hit vital weak spots. It's weaknesses being that the attacks weren't all that damaging in exchange for their plentifulness and speed, as well as there had to be shadows for them to work right. At least that's what I'd heard. So why was it that he joined a Squad with the main mission of handling parts of the Human world and a few Rukkon districts instead of one that he could easily rise to the rank of Lieutenant? Though I had no disdain for the greedy man that currently held the rank of Lieutenant in the Second Squad, I couldn't deny that he was one of the worst choices for the job.

"What're you thinking about, Misami?" Daiki's strong voice cut through my thoughts, "You're spacing out."

"Oh, nothing," I said, dropping the subject, "Hey, are we there yet?"

Daiki's cobalt blue eyes flickered with amusement, "For all your abilities and training, as well as your background as a Kuchiki, and you still retain a childish personality."

"Hey!" I shot back.

"It was a compliment," Daiki smiled, "And to answer your question, look down."

Sure enough, I saw a gathering of my new squadmates in the area of the Senkaimon. I, along with Daiki, appeared on top of one of the pillars surrounding the area. The Fifth Squad members were relaxed and milling about. Some were talking in hushed whispers about rumors. Rumors about Takeshi, me, and Daiki. Everything was exaggerated about what happened, and made me sound like I single handedly defeated the hollow. Something that seemed to be the case. I decided to make an entrance, and dropped down to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, look! It's them!"

"It's Misami Kuchiki, I can't believe the stories were true! She fought a Vasto Lorde and she's only a kid."

"I heard that she was getting transferred to our Squad because of Captain Kurosaki, you think that's why she's here?"

"Isn't she Lieutenant Kuchiki's sister?"

"Is the hooded guy Daiki?"

"Hey, look, it's the Captain!"

I flicked my vision from right o left until my have settled on a certain carrot top in a sleeveless Captain's Haori and walking next to a raven haired, petite Lieutenant. I walked towards them, sensing Daiki not far behind. I felt everyone's eyes on my small form as I approached the tow of them. I stopped before them and bowed respectively.

"Third Seat Misami Kuchiki of Squad Five, and Fourth Seat Daiki of Squad Thirteen reporting for duty as ordered," I said in a formal and respectful tone.

"You don't have to be that formal, Misami," Ichigo said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Permission to speak freely for the remainder of the mission, Captain Kurosaki?" I asked, as if I never heard his comment.

Rukia giggled as Ichigo answered, "Uh...Granted?"

"Why the heck didn't you tell me Ichi!?" I exclaimed, "I just had a office assigned to me three days ago!"

"Becuase it was a surprise?" Ichigo said, hopeful that it was a legitimate excuse.

I groaned irritably and turned to Rukia with a huge smile on my face, "Hey, sister!"

"Hey, Misami!" Rukia said, giving me a hug, "Are you happy about your promotion?"

"Of course I am!" I exclaimed, "I'm in the same squad as my sister and my brother-in-law!"

"Brother-in-law?" Ichigo blushed furiously, "What the heck Misami? I haven't proposed to her yet!"

"Ha! You said 'Yet'!" I grinned.

"So?" Ichigo said, scowling as always.

"That means that your planning on proposing! Duh!" I laughed.

"You know what? You aren't allowed to speak freely, midget," Ichigo growled, looking away as he blushed even more.

Instantly the atmosphere got tense as Rukia and I looked at him at the same time and spoke in a unified, scary tone, "What did you just say?"

"I...uh."

While Rukia hit hit over the top of his head with her fist, I jabbed at his side at the same time with my elbow, "That's what we thought!"

Ichigo groaned, sighed, then turned to address the squad, "Alright everyone, it time to head out! Make sure that we have everything we need!"

"Yes, sir!" The squad responded in unison.

I turned to Ichigo, "Where are we going, anyway?"

"Oh, there's a huge amount of Hollows crawling around a city that's in our area of protection. Enough of them that the Head Captain told me to see it through personally."

"That bad?" I asked aloud, "Do you know why?"

Ichigo shrugged, "An experiment gone wrong?"

"You think Squad Twelve has something to do with it?"

"I wouldn't put it past Mayuri, is all I can say," Ichigo said.

I sighed, "Yeah, that guy gives me the creeps. He actually asked to dissect me to see how I was able to get as strong as I am."

"I'm sure he's not the only one that is wondering that, Misami," Ichigo grinned, "Anyway, let's go."

"Right!"

* * *

"Who are you?" Takeshi said, almost growling as a Soul Reaper entered the dark confines of his new cell.

"My name is Kisuke Urahara," Kisuke said.

All Takeshi could see was his outline. The cell he was in had been cast in almost absolute shadow, and sealed with almost as much spells as what Aizen's cell was rumored to have. There was almost no space whatsoever to move. The men assigned to watch him had repositioned his seals to that he could move. But the problem was those seals left him so weak that that was almost an impossibility, and then there was the fact that there was barely enough space to breathe, much less move. That said, Takeshi was surprised that he didn't fall out of the cell as soon as the door was opened. His power was almost nonexistent, sealed and being constantly drained as well, since the people given charge of him were so paranoid of the amount of power that he possessed. Takeshi made it known very clearly, that had Misami not personally requested for him not to put up a fuss, he would have given every Soul Reaper an earful of how irritated he was. Now, he was speaking for the first time in two days.

"And what do you want?" He asked with annoyance.

"I have a deal to offer you, Takesgi Yagami," The Soul Reaper said.

"Spill it, then," Takeshi sighed, now sounding bored.

"How would you like to be an Arrancar?" He asked.

"Arrancar?" Takeshi repeated, "What, you found the Hogiyoku?"

"Very astute," Kisuke said, sounding impressed, "But not exactly. I've made an experimental one, one that needs to be destroyed so it will not fall into the wrong hands."

"If that's the case, then why make it in the first place?"

"I wanted to see if I could replicate my unfortunate success, was all," Kisuke insisted, "Anyway, the only way to destroy it is to use it on a Vasto Lorde. Then, the power generated my the being it is acting on will cause it to explode."

"And I'm your test subject then?" Takeshi would have raised and eyebrow if he had one and if he had the energy left to do so.

"Yes, that's correct," Kisuke said, "If this works, you will be an Arrancar, and the Hogiyoku will have been destroyed. If it doesn't work, you'll most likely lose a limb. But I hear that that's not exactly an issue with your abilities."

"And you needy permission?" Takeshi asked, "I'm a prisoner, and a Hollow. With the way things are, I have no rights so long as I am what I am."

"Wrong," Kisuke said, "You have powerful allies thanks to the girl that saved your life."

"Misami?" Takeshi asked.

"Yes," Kisuke said, "Misami Kuchiki. Adopted into the clan not two or three months ago. She is close friends with Ichigo Kurosaki, Yuroichi Shihoin, Kenpachi Zaraki, and myself to name a few. She is sister to Byakuya Kuchiki and Rukia Kuchiki. All of whom are Captain level Soul Reapers. Along with that and being charismatic and charming, she has great influence in the noble world as a Kuchiki. It's becuase of this that you are even alive today. And it's because of this that you have been deemed an exception since we would not want to upset a girl who shows such potential."

"So in order to get in good with the big shot pint size, your treating me like her pampered dog so she won't go ballistic and betray the lot of you?" Takeshi said bluntly.

"That's the pessimists view in a nutshell," Kisuke shrugged, "Or you could look at it as a favor to a friend. You've met her yourself, do you know why people tend to listen and respect her despite her age."

Takeshi groaned, conceding the point. Misami was a very like-able person. In the few days that he had spent in her company, Takeshi already looked at her as a little sister, and cared very much for her well being after the kindness that she showed him. He felt eternally grateful to her, and swore by his honor that he would remain loyal to her. That was how he was. His personality was that of a honorable warrior taken straight from the Middle Ages in the Human world. That was was he was when he regained consciousness as an Adjuches. Honor and a man's word meant as much to him as did his own life, so he took his obligations seriously and paid off his debts.

"Alright, fine," Takeshi said, "Go ahead."

"Excellent, Takeshi," Kisuke said, almost too happily, grabbing a device or two from his shirt, "Then let's begin, shall we?"


	13. The End of Peace for a Time

**Author's note: Hey guys, sorry for the late update! I've been extremely busy with high school and other activities to get the creativness flowing enough to be able to write a good chapter! I, personally, think this is one of my best chapters for this story. Oh, and I drew Misami and I'm going to see if I can't scan the image and use it for this story, so watch out for that! So, enjoy! Review please!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! Misami says "Thanks!" Haha, and I know KIsuke was creepy in the last chapter, but that's what I was aiming for, after all. I can't wait for your next review, and thanks for all the support!  
**

**Thank you, Chilly292, for reviewing! I was happy to include the Ikkaku spar in the last chapter! I would like to thank you for the suggestion! It made that chaoter so much more fun to write! As far as proposal goes, I hope that what I did in this chapter was good enough! If you want for me to write a filler chapter about the whole ceremony and propsal between the two of them, then I'll consider it! And of course Rukia and Misami beat up on Ichigo, they both hate to be called that anyway! Thank you for all the support that you have given me, and I look forwards to your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the plot, the story, and my many OCs. **

We were back in the world of the living, and I felt the familiar air of the atmosphere. There was almost no Reishi compared to the Soul Society, giving the world the feeling of open air, regardless of the black night sky that hung overhead. The city that we had been sent to was almost exactly like Karakura Town, except of its being somewhere in Europe. As the squad unpacked their supplies and set up a camp, sending others in groups to establish a perimeter, I found my self exhausted suddenly from the sparring matches I had had with the Eleventh Squad prior to arriving at the Senkaimon to leave with the Squad Five unit. I had long since placed the Kyokko on my second sword, leaving the one at my back in full view of everyone. Ichigo, Rukia, Daiki, and I all felt the sudden restrictions of the spell limiting all Soul Reapers a the power level of Lieutenant. I noticed that instead of the snow drop of the Thirteenth Squad being stamped on my body, it was the Lily of the Valley insignia, the insignia of of the Fifth Squad. That meant that they must have known ahead of time that I would be in Squad Five for this mission.

The mission, as Rukia explained, was a containment assignment to stop an overflow of Hollows that was caused by an unknown Garganta that the Twelfth Squad was investigating while we protected them with a select group of our squad members. I was in charge of a group of Squad members that were given the task of recon-ing the area for any signs of suspicious activity while Rukia lead the effort to set up the camp. Ichigo had left to find Captain Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Squad to plan out their next move and coordinate their efforts. This was a suggestion from Rukia, since Ichigo just wished to kill all the Hollows and that be the long and the short of it.

"Third Seat," Daiki, whom had been assigned to my group as its second in command due to his skills said behind me, "What do you make of that?"

He was pointing up, towards the sky, where a Garganta was forming rapidly. I looked back at Daiki and then to the Garganta. I almost laughed at how the way he mentioned this so casually that I thought he was pointing out a couple kissing or something insignificant like that. But what was exiting the Garganta was the most troubling to me at the moment. Two humanoid Hollows, too humanoid to be even Adjuches, slipped through the black dimensional rift. As the Garganta mended and the awful sound that came with it faded, those two Hollows looked around with restrained curiosity.

As a precautionary measure, I lifted my hand, my middle and index fingers pointing straight up and muttered "Bakudo No. 26. Kyokko." and made a cutting motion with that hand. My unit and I were then cloaked with a rainbow accented blanket of Kido that masked our visual and spiritual signatures, hiding us from the senses of these Hollows. Since we were just a reconnaissance unit, only Daiki and I really had enough spiritual pressure to fight, while the rest of the unit was made up of fresh Academy graduates without even the most basic connection to their Zanpakuto. It was true that Ichigo and Rukia had trained them to be skilled in all manner of technique, since Ichigo knew Zanjutsu and Hoho rather well, while Rukia handled the training of Kido and Hakuda, making the Fifth Squad just as strong, versatile, and formidable as when Aizen lead it. I was glad for this, since I wouldn't necessarily have any real slackers on my teams, but it still remained that a good amount of the people I was given were newcomers with no real combat experience. In fact, this was the first time any of them had even seen a Hollow.

The fact that, since I had a Kyokko on my second blade, the larger Bakudo cancelled the smaller, leaving my second sword visible to them, didn't help them all that much either. I heard them mummer about this latest development, which also dredged up the rumors that had surrounded me. At least they were rumors that made the new recruits respect me rather than look at me as the child that I was.

Their eyes falling upon me and my group. By this time, my group had all their eyes trained on the two Hollows, their hands gripping their swords tightly as they itched to draw their steel. The air grew tense, the collective breath of the unit held in anxious, heart pounding silence. They began to doubt of the Kido I had cast was working or not. Whether we had a chance of survival. They began to get louder and louder, their swords starting to be drawn out of their scabbards.

"Everyone stand down," I said, and with authority, holding up my palm to them in a silencing motion, "They can't see us, but they can hear us if you don't shut up and wait."

"Yes, ma'am," They whispered back in unison.

The two Hollows slowly floated down to the ground without much pause in their search. One was not unlike Daiki, in that he had a mask and hood cloaking his features, and his body covered in a black, ninja-like outfit. He had a very sinister aura about him, like getting too close would sooner get you killed then step within five feet of the monster. In that sense, he really was a lot like Daiki, almost comically. First a Hollow Kenpachi, now a Hollow Daiki? The main difference between the two of them, however, was that the Hollow version was almost as tall as the other Hollow, with limbs impossibly long and lanky. Anyway, the other was a monster of muscle and brawn. He was much taller then his silent friend, and much more noisy. He seemed to look at everything with the intention of fighting it, ignoring anything that wouldn't challenge him, therefore leaving him looking at everything without so much as sparing more then a millisecond of attention at the least. They both had so much power that it was causing the unit behind me to have trouble first with breathing, then with standing. They both had the same vine-like black markings on their white skin as Takeshi, their Hollow holes in different places.

"Why are we here again?" The taller one asked.

"They took the boss captive, so we're here to get some answers on where he's being held,' said the assassin Hollow, almost whispering it.

"So that's why we brought all those worthless low lives with us? To distract them so we could do what?" asked the other.

"I don't have to go over the plan for you, you idiot," responded the assassin, "I swear, you have to worst memory of them all."

"Shut up!" growled the Hollow in question.

I watched them pass us, holding my breath along with the members of my unit. Daiki, his hand gripping the hilt of his Zanpakuto, slowly approached me and spoke int my ear, "Let me out, I'm going to distract them so that you can get the rest of the squad back to the Lieutenant. She'll know what to do."

"I know that Rukia has dealt with worse then these guys," I said, "But doesn't this feel a little off to you? I mean, they're above Captain level and their looking for someone stronger then them? I don;t know any Hollows that we've captured that were stronger then them. Wait, except..."

"Exactly," Daiki said,reading my mind, "I suppose it was rather un-strategic of us not to think that someone of Takeshi's level didn't have followers. And I'm willing to bet that they didn't start out as powerful as that. I think that they got to that level by being around Takeshi. Kind of like how the two Fullbringer human friends of Captain Kurosaki were able to grow stronger in his presence because of the leaking power from him."

"Right," I said, then I grabbed his Shihakusho sleeve and dragged his ear close to my lips, "I swear, Daiki, if you don't make it back I'll never forgive you for as long as I live."

Before he could pull away, I gave him a childish peck on the cheek and added in a giggle so the squad members wouldn't get the wrong idea from the farewell gesture. I had enough rumors that followed me like a haze, so I didn't want to have to deal with the rumor that I had the hots for the creepy assassin Soul Reaper from the Thirteenth. He blushed under his scarf, with me only knowing that because I felt the air between us become slightly warmer then before, and then Flashed away. I sensed his position and vector, opening a perfectly sized hole in the Kido as he reached that spot. It took the utmost control of the Bakudo to keep it from tearing away and revealing our position. Daiki used his legendary Flash Step to reach the shadows silently. I lost him as soon as he started to suppress his spiritual pressure in order to stay unseen. I looked to the two of them as the passed, holding my breath without realizing it.

Then the assassin-like Hollow stopped, as if he sensed something he had missed before. The unit gasped, and started muttering the worst case scenario.

Daiki, appearing in the trees above, watched them as the Hollow began to sniff the air suspiciously. I almost couldn't take the pressure of the thought that they had found us out so easily. I looked through the many skills and abilities I had at my disposal, trying to figure which would be the best option. I could use Kido, but my energy stores were starting to get drained with the enormous Kyokko I was maintaining. I was definitely going to use Flash Step in some for or another, more to dodge attacks then deliver them if the spiritual pressure of those Hollows were to be taken at face value. Since these looked to be Vasto Lorde class Hollows, I doubt my skills in Hakuda would be of much use. I didn't want to use my Shikai if I could help it, since I wanted to limit the amount of witnesses that knew its nature. Even though I had been training with it in my spare time since arriving back i the Soul Society, I knew I had a long way to go before it was anywhere near its potential. Command over light and the absence of light was an extremely powerful ability, but it took so much concentration and spiritual power to use that I found myself being exhausted if I pushed it too much. The two abilities I had mastered was the Dance of Light, or Hikari no Dansu, which was my ability to turn my body into light for a short moment and travel at light speed to a preset destination, and the other was the Skewer of Shadow, or Kage no Kushi, which was my ability to inflict damage through any armor by cutting and stabbing my opponent's shadow. With these two abilities, killing an enemy would be easy as long as I had the energy. Kage no Kushi was for easier to use repeatedly than Hikari no Dansu, since it didn't really draw from my spiritual power stores, but it wasn't very effective if I couldn't reach their shadows. Thankfully, it was around midnight, and the moon hung full and vibrant against the star-speckled backdrop of the night sky.

"I smell a Soul Reaper," The assassin Hollow said, turning and facing Daiki's position, "And a tasty one, too."

My squad began to panic, but I silenced them with an outstretched palm. The two Hollows turned to face Daiki, predatory grins on their faces. I breathed a sigh of relief that we had avoided detection thanks to him.

_They know we're here, Master, _Hikari said solemnly.

_What? _I blinked, searching the two Hollows for clues to support my Zanpakuto's claim, _It doesn't look like it. _

_Reach farther then the surface with your senses, Misami, feeling their spiritual pressures for their intentions, and their emotions, and tell me what you find, _Hikari instructed.

I did just that, taking a deep breath to calm my quickening heartbeat and my nerves. I slowly closed my eyes to concentrate and found the two foul smelling, if spiritual pressure could have a smell, presences of the Hollows. I sensed anticipation, apprehension, excitement, distaste, blood lust among the basic animalistic instincts of those enemies, trying to find where they were aimed towards. If they were towards Daiki, we would have much more time, but if they were even remotely focused on my squad and I, we were in trouble. Unfortunately, I sensed the latter, and confirmed my Zanpakuto's claim.

They knew full well that my squad and I were hiding nearby, though they didn't know exactly where. They were planning on making the whole ordeal as terrifying as possible for their prey. It made me sick, and my stomach burned hot with anger. I sensed two large spiritual pressures arriving, but they were a good ten minutes off. I doubted that the squad knew that, though. Then I felt a plan forming in my head.

I turned to my head towards my squad and spoke softly, "I have some good news and some bad news. Which do you guys want first?"

"Uh, the bad news?" A female squad member raised a trembling hand, her green eyes looking into mine.

"The Hollows of there know we're here, their just acting like they only notice the Fourth Seat from Squad Thirteen," A gasp was their response, but I raised a hand to calm them down, "I believe that they plan on defeating the Fourth Seat and then go on to attacking us as a surprise while we watch our friend fall."

"And the good news?" A tall, brown haired male Soul Reaper asked, looking past me to the Hollows.

I smirked, "I have a plan to use that against them. But first, I need to know if any of you were in the Advanced classes in the Academy."

A few of them raised their hands, the female and male Soul Reapers who answered me before were among them. I nodded and then continued, "I'm going to have to ask those of you who were in Advanced Kido to follow me. The rest of you will be fleeing the area with the Fourth Seat once my team and I distract them long enough. We should be getting back up soon, so I don't expect any of you to be the hero and sacrifice yourselves for no good reason on your first mission, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the group responded in unison.

Just as they said that, a Hollow blasted a Cero directly at Daiki's position, obliterating the tree he had been nestled in and creating a perfect tunnel through the canopy of the forest. Daiki used his impressive Flash Step to appear behind them, his sword drawn in a reverse grip. The Hollows, laughing gleefully and menacingly, slipped into Sonido's to charge Daiki. The Soul Reaper in question's image flickered. The two Hollows stopped in their tracks, looking blankly at the Soul Reaper before them in confusion for just an instant. But in that instant, the image of Daiki had suddenly been multiplied by four, with each Flash Step Clone forming a square and surrounding the two enemies.

I turned to the group, already releasing the Kyokko as I spoke, "Group Two, move!"

Everyone except three Soul Reapers started to run for the base camp a little farther west in the forest. Those that stayed were already reciting the incantations for the Hado spells they knew best. I looked around in the trees to see where Daiki's actual body was, finding him sitting calmly in the tree next to the one that had been erased partially by the Hollow's Cero. I beckoned him over with a look, and he shrugged. Suddenly, he was standing before me, his mask and hood shielding his face from sight.

"What is it, Third Seat?" Daiki asked, cocking his head.

"I need you to escort the fleeing group back to the base camp," I said, pointing to them as they neared the two Hollows, "Captain Kurosaki and Lieutenant Kuchiki are en route to assist. I sensed them earlier."

"Alright," He said, "But let me take the lanky one out first, he has so many weak points I could hit him blind."

I nodded grudgingly, "Alright, but hurry."

"What gives?!" Shouted the muscly Hollow suddenly, "How come they get away and we have to deal with four of the same guy!"

Daiki, chuckling evilly suddenly, vanished in a burst of Flash Step as he spoke the command, "Envelope and desolate, Yami no Naifu."

His blade went from its normal steel color, to black, shadow like smoke. Daiki slid the hilt of his sword into the waist of his Shihakusho, and then proceeded to pull out throwing knives from the shadows around him. His clones made to do the same, but the two Hollows didn't seem to like the looks of the attack. So the two of them were racing to get out of range of whatever attack was coming next.

But they were interrupted by the sound of my voice as I shouted, "Now!"

And the three squad members that had be charging up their Kido attacks all shouted in unison, "Hado No. 31: Shakkaho!"

The red flames of the Hado exploded from the palms of their casters and converged into a single powerful spell. If the Hollows had eyes, they would have surely widened in surprise as the red flame cannon crashed into their bodies. A grunt of pain was barely audible in the roar of the blast as the destructive spell crashed into them. But instead of seeing a crumbled a pair of bodies, like what the squad members were seemingly expecting, we were confronted with the image of the two Hollows as if the spell hadn't even been cast. The squad members gasped, but I found myself unmoved by the seeming invincible Hollows. The squad members looked at my expression, which was apathetic to say the least, they seemed to follow my lead and not show their surprise. I looked to my squad mates and gave them a nod, my eyes telling them they had permission to retreat. But they seemed to wish to stay with me, like running was one of the last thing on their minds now. I shrugged, but inside I wondered why they would want to stay here when they could flee. It didn't really make any sense to me.

_It's because they are inspired by you, Misami, _Hikari chimed in.

_Inspired? _I responded, crossing my arms as I did so to give the impression of boredom as I looked over to my opponents without facing them. The whole point of this was to give off the impression that these Hollows weren't even worth my time.

_It's because of your leadership and strength that they found the courage to stand by your side despite having the ability to flee, _My Zanpakuto said, _That's what a leader does after all. _

_I'm not a leader, _I thought back flatly.

_The squad members would beg to differ. You can see it in their eyes, _Hikari said.

Before I had a chance to look over to confirm this, and continue my conversation with my sword, the Hollow that put even the most buff human body builders to shame spoke in an arrogant, and labored tone that was plagued with a false sense of superiority, "Da's da best you guys got?"

I cocked an eyebrow, but said nothing in response. My squad mates, however, had something different to say, starting with the female with green eyes, "That was nothing compared to what the Third Seat can do!

"Yeah, she can use Lieutenant level Kido in her sleep!" Boasted the tall, brown haired male.

"She isn't afraid of you weaklings!" Called out the third, a man with blonde spiky hair and green eyes.

"Is that so?" The lanky assassin said sickly, "Then who is this Third Seat, then? The hooded one?"

They continued to laugh and I felt a strange sensation wash over me that never really happened to me no matter how dire things were. I felt my blood run hot, and my jaw hurt from clenching my teeth so hard. Daiki looked over to me with a worried aura coming from him, though it would have been visible on hid face if it itself were visible. The three squad mates fell silent went they looked over at me. My bangs cast shadows over my eyes, a low growl that came from the most feral part of my being. I began to lose control of my spiritual pressure, the white and black spiritual pressure that was my own flared around my body as if I had set the ground and my body on fire with it. The ground started trembling, my hair whipping along with the tails of my scarf as the power I was releasing my power without realizing it. My allies stepped back, as if suddenly scared of the sight of me. I grabbed the hilt of the sword at my back, hard. I slowly drew it out of my scabbard, the sickening, rancorous rasping sound of the metal leaving the sheath made the squad members shiver. When the blade left the scabbard, the ringing of the metal hung in the air like a bad omen, telling a tale of bloodshed. The Hollows even took a step or two back, their spiritual pressures telling how confused they were of this sudden change in my personality.

I had had this happen to me before, this anger. This rage. I just suddenly couldn't take seeing Hollows acting exactly like the ones from my past, and them looking at me and my friends as if we were pieces of meat. It infuriated my soul to no end. I have no conscious thought of it, but this made something within me snap. Now, I sensed Ichigo and Rukia watching from above, their spiritual pressures giving away how worried and confused they were. Of all the people in the Soul Society, they were the last two that I wanted to have seen me when I get like this. Since it happens so rarely, I had hoped that they would go without discovering this dark side of my personality. It scared even me sometimes, the things that I had done in the Rukkon while in this state. They had been so terrible that there had actually been legends made out of them, but they were never attached to me.

The first time this happened, I was alone. I had wandered into the 79th District by mistake and ran into a group of thugs. They had started looking at me just as those terrible Hollows that were from my earliest memory. That's when the first time happened. I awoke to the sight of all fifteen of them mutilated on the ground, my body soaked with their blood and a knife clutched in my childish hands. There have only been five times after that. This was the sixth.

"**How dare you****?**" I said, my voice demonic and layered like when Ichigo had his Hollow mask on, "**You'll pay for your sins, Hollows...**"

"What the-?" Was the collective response by both Ichigo and the Hollows below him.

But that was all they could say before I vanished in a Flash Step of about ninety percent of the full speed I could use, my sword flashing in the pale moonlight. Before they knew what had happened, both Hollows were without arms. The useless limbs fell to the ground in a heap of flesh, blood leaking from both them and the stumps where they used to be. The two Hollows yelped in surprise, howling in agony as they realized what had just happened to them. My allies were taring wide eyed at my crouched form, where it was just behind the Hollows with my sword held where it had ended after my attack. They were speechless, but the Hollows weren't in the same boat.

They roared and fired Cero after Cero at me, but I used my Flash Step to basically teleport away from the destructive blasts. When that didn't seem to be working, they fired on my friends. That was the worst mistake they could have made. I appeared in front of the four blasts with a Flash Step clone for each blast, and concentrated all my raging energy with minimal concentration into an un-named Enkosen. The yellow disc appeared before my sword, which was held up before me, and it neutralized the attack with ease. It shattered the instant I diverted attention away from the technique and stopped maintaining the speed clones. I appeared before them, with my eyes still shadowed by my bangs throughout this entire ordeal.

"What the heck is goin' on?" I heard Ichigo mumble to Rukia, who shivered.

"This ain't over," The muscled one growled, a Garganta opening behind the two of them, "Next time we met, it won't be as one sided as this."

And with that abrupt remark, they vanished into the dimensional rift with sinister laughter echoing through the night air.

It was not even a beat afterwards, when Rukia, Daiki, and Ichigo Flashed over to me and looked with the most suspicious gaze they had ever used. The anger subsiding and my powers coming back under my control. I took a deep breath, my heart rate hadn't changed through that entire ordeal. That part of me always scared the crap out of me every time it happened.

"Okay, you have some explaining to do," Ichigo stated, looking at me worriedly.

I tried to answer him, the words starting to form on my lips. But then a sudden wave of nausea washed over me and I fell to me knees. My head was spinning as I remembered this part of when I would snap this that. I could already feel the last of my strength fading as I went limp. My eyes felt as of they were being weighed down by anchors, my body like lead. My ears, for one reason or another, wouldn't allow me to hear the worried voices of my friends as they almost frantically tried to keep me awake. When I tried to keep myself awake, for their sake's, I seemed to only make the process progress even faster then before. Black curtains of unconsciousness closed down around the edges of my vision, regardless of the fact that my eyes were still open. I found myself being shaken, in a vain attempt to keep me awake. It worked, for maybe about a few seconds, before it all came crashing down.

And I slipped into the void.

* * *

_...Five hundred years later..._

I laid down in my room, the smell of food wafting through the elaborate halls of the Kuchiki Manor. I sensed Rukia leaving for the Squad Barracks. I laughed, since it was my turn to skip the amazing breakfast served every morning to go to work instead. But Rukia had beat me to the punch, making good on her promise to pay me back for the time I covered for her last week when she had to deal with some business in the Clan that pertained only to her. I found myself to be rather content with the life that I had been living for the past five centuries, remembering the warm feeling that I got anytime I thought of the place I now lay when I was at the physical age of eleven. I had grown since that night in the world of the Living, matured with age, training, and responsibility.

Sighing, I rose out of my soft bed. I was only in my underwear, the night before leaving me so tired that I didn't feel the need to dress myself for sleep and just took off my Shihakusho. Puberty had hit me hard over the past hundred years. With my being flat-chested and like a box, to being the exact opposite. As fast as looks were concerned, I found that the boys tended to look just below my neck instead of above it, and the girls giving me the dirtiest looks in all of the Soul Society. But, despite all of that, I was still the same height as before. Thankfully, my bust was proportional to my height, so it didn't backfire and look weird. The muscle that I had trained in my countless hours of training over the past five centuries made my curves look perfect, fortunately. I shook off that train of thought and slipped into my Shihakusho quietly and quickly put on the accessories that made me distinguishable from the rest of the Squad. I wrapped the white band of my shadow blade sheath around my waist so that the hilt of the sword was jutting out from my right hip, and ducked into the shoulder strap of my light blade so that the hilt loomed over my right shoulder.

I was a respected member of Squad Five, Third Seat under the most powerful Captain aside from the Head Captain himself. Rukia, having achieved her Bankai around four hundred years ago, was at least in the top three of the strongest Lieutenants. The vacancies of the Squad Nine and Squad Three Captain slots had been filled with the Captain that had been exiled before the Winter War. Which were Kensei Muguruma and Rojuro Otoribashi, respectively. With the captain slots full, and the Lieutenants strong, the Soul Society has seen some of the best peace in a long time. Hollows, lead by the two Vasto Lorde class that I had fought all those centuries ago, were causing trouble throughout the World of the Living.

Since Ichigo, Rukia, and I were extremely familiar with Karakura Town, jurisdiction of the area hand been handed over to the Fifth Squad with Ichigo's asking and negotiating. As a show of appreciation for he and his Squads efforts during that time, the Head Captain had let the exchange pass without much resistance. Now, Ichigo was watching over his city, visiting with his family as he did so no doubt. Rukia was asked to accompany him tomorrow, with recent reports of Garganta usage in the area from the Twelfth. I had agreed to take over command of the Squad in their stead, since the paper work wasn't as hard to accomplish as some other Captains and Lieutenants were lead to believe. I usually finished with all of that work within the first few hours, thanks to the help from the Fourth Seat known as Daiki.

After I ate the amazing breakfast from the Kuchiki cooks, and gave them a smiling thanks, I left for the Squad Five Barracks since I had an enormous stack of the aforementioned paper work to complete for the day. Not the mention that after that, I was going to have to lead the Squad in a series of training exercises later that day as well. The training wasn't what was the annoying part, just the stares I get most of the time during them. I had a reputation that was much like Ichigo's, except it wasn't pure admiration. It was admiration laced with underlaying fear of if they made me mad. I really didn't like being feared like that, but it had its upsides.

Even though the assassin like Soul Reaper seemed only good at disappearing and spying from the shadows, he had shown that he was far more versatile then that. Daiki was transferred over from the Thirteenth around two hundred and fifty years ago, with Captain Ukitake asking that he be transferred because of how well he and I worked together. I hadn't objected to the suggestion, actually excited at the idea of having another friend in the ranks of my Squad. He hadn't changed in his appearance in the five hundred years that had passed since the first fight with the two Vasto Lorde. It was expected to say the least.

I still wore the same modified Shihakusho, with sleeves shortened to the middle of my upper arms. I wore the same white tekko as before, along with my white scarf. The twin tails of my scarf always seemed to catch the wind even at the slightest breeze. My white hair reached to the small of my back, and it had gone from straight to slightly flowing even without the wind. I didn't keep my second sword in a Kyokko anymore, since the rumors made sure that everyone knew of my second Zanpakuto. Also, rumors and legends had sprouted from the tales of how I sent the two Vasto Lorde away single handedly. It's because of that that my nickname was 'The Demon', since I was so terrifying when I was in that state as I fought those Vasto Lorde. I probably scarred the three squad mates that witnessed that, making them scared of me ever since. Now that was the case with the entire Soul Society, my reputation of defeating Vasto Lorde making the stories all the more believable. The sad thing was they were right in thinking that I was a monster, a demon. There really wasn't any other way to put it, thanks to my past.

"Third Seat Kuchiki! Good morning, ma'am!" Called a squad mate.

I gave a small smile, but it was hidden by the raised hem of my scarf, "Good morning!"

I walked on, my steps sure and soft, almost silent. It was a quirk that I picked up from Daiki long ago. I was far more quiet when I was alone, and I could be as quiet as Daiki if I wished to be. It was really helpful whenever I wanted to play a prank on a squad member or Ichigo and Rukia. They always hated it when I showed up out of nowhere on their special dates, though not for the invasion of their privacy. They trusted me like they would each other, it was the surprise of my being there suddenly that made them angry with me. But it was worth it to see the expression of their faces every time I did. It was timeless.

I remembered how much they would blush the first few times I started to do that. But I hadn't done it when Ichigo had proposed to Rukia, since I found that to be one of the rudest things that I could have possibly done to them. Instead I was the first one to give them my congratulations, about five seconds after Rukia had said "Yes!" about a thousand times. They kissed, long and passionate, until I cleared my throat to announce my presence. They had freaked out, blushes so red it put Renji's hair to shame. Those were some precious memories that I held close to my heart, and they brought smiles to my lips every time they reached the surface of my thoughts. They were always such a perfect couple. They were both legally my siblings, adding to my happiness all the more. I had gone from having nothing but a torn and wretched soul to my name(not even a name at that), to having everything that I could have ever wanted in the whole Soul Society. Rukia and Ichigo made my life so perfect with their companionship lighting up my darkest days. When I felt down, I could always just look at the eyes of Rukia or Ichigo when their gazes fell upon one another. They always had this light in their eyes that was contagious, and I just couldn't feel upset after seeing that look.

I walked into the office that I had been assigned, the stacks of paperwork already being worked on by my trusty assistant, Daiki. He worked as quietly as ever, his hands a blur as he quickly signed a document and put it in another pile other the. The one he was drawing from. There was a stack about half the size of what he had put on his desk. I felt a slight tug at my lips, since Daiki tended to give himself more work then he needed to so that I didn't have to. I found it almost cute how caring he was, if I could possible think of Daiki as cute in anyway with the death glare he gave any time he wasn't concsiously making sure he wasn't doing it.

He and I had a similar past, only the difference was that he had been forced from a young age to be trained as an assassin for hire in the Rukkon for the gangs. The money he made was taken from him and used for terrible purposes that he didn't like to list. The end result was a eight year old Daiki that had been so numbed to the guilt of killing innocent and corrupt souls alike, that he had lost the ability to show much emotion. He was always on a mission, a death glare was his default expression after a while, a vacant look in his eyes.

When he told me about this, I couldn't help but give him a hug. It was about a hundred years ago, when I had the body of a fifteen year old. I just hugged him an started to cry, since his story sounded just as horrible as my own. Instead of loneliness, he was surrounded by evil men that made him do terrible things, both completely opposites, both completely inhuman to go through as a child. I felt a deep connection to Daiki after that, and we had become close friends in the time that had followed. We worked well together in all types of situations. Close enough for people to question whether we were more then best friends. What's worse is that I seemed to have caught the shyness about relationships from Rukia and Ichigo, and I blushed anytime something of that nature came up. Daiki had the same problem, but his mask and good covered it up most of the time.

I sat at my desk, pen posed, and began to work at a slightly slower pace then Daiki. It was all paper work of classified troop reports and requests for various supplies to various locations, and things like that. Really, it was already done and over with, but it still had to have the signature of a Third Seat or higher, with the exception of Daiki as a Fourth Seat. I had a squad member fetch us some tea and a lunch from a nearby vendor, whom obliged with a strained smile. I wouldn't have enjoyed being told who wait on a sixteen year old superior if I were in his shoes either, but I also wouldn't be worried about if that same superior was going to rip my throat out, as the current rumors suggested.

I sighed. Rumors were supposed to be the least of my worries. With my taking sips of the tea periodically, and nibbling on the food from time to time, Daiki and I finished the paperwork in record time. As usual.

"You want to go for a walk, Daiki?" I asked, "I know you need you stretch your legs as much as I do."

He laughed lightly, "I guess it couldn't hurt, I just hope that we don't run into Ikkaku or Yumichika."

"Their worse than Kenny at pestering us for fights," I stated as we walked out of our joint office. I checked Rukia's and Ichigo's joint office, next door to ours, as we left to make sure it was as we left it.

"Well, it's probably because we fight them more then the Captain fights him," Daiki noted.

"That is true," I conceded as we rounded the corner of the barracks and entered into the walk way that lead out to the Rukkon Districts. We left a note that let those who would be looking for us where we were going to be. Their route was well known in the Squad since so many had asked them when they got back from their walks. They always talked about random things, never letting the conversation dull. When we didn't talk, we both simply just took in the scenery of the hills of the Third South Rukkon District. The same hills that I had trained with Rukia and Ichigo during the winter break of my only year at the Academy. It was always peaceful, serene, and lovely. Daiki let his mask and hood down to reveal his own peaceful features. He had stopped viewing the world through his intimidating glare, at least temporarily, as he took a deep breath and looked around the area. He smiled down at me, as gesture when coupled with the look in his eyes that told me how happy he was to be here. After all, it reminded us both of the sanctuary of the hills in the outermost districts, where we had both found peace among our horrible childhoods.

"The Lieutenant came by on her way out to tell you that she left early for Karakura," Daiki mentioned as if he just remembered.

"Oh?" I asked, "Did she say why?"

"She said that she was going to surprise the Captain," Daiki shrugged.

I have him a knowing look, "Uh huh."

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Misami," Daiki chuckled, "They are married, after all."

I shrugged, "Anyways, how are we going to handle today's training? A fake mission?"

"What would that teach them about Zanjutsu?" Daiki raised an eyebrow.

"Unless you want to just drill them on the proper overhead strike for five hours straight, I don't know what else to do," I shrugged, "I want to spar wth them, but no one will fight me!"

"At least we know how the Eleventh feels about us now," Daiki chuckled again, "How about we just have them spar with one another, while we demonstrate what to do on each other?"

"Oh, you and me demonstrate? Alright I can do that!" I said, but blushed slightly at how that must have come off.

Daiki, seeing my blush, reddened himself as his mind went down the same road as mine had, "Well, it's almost noon, so I suppose we should start heading back."

"Right," I nodded, trying to sound nonchalant, "Let's hurry."

I vanished in a Flash Step, which was far more faster then when I used it as an eleven year old. Daiki and I had worked together to improve our Flash Steps with the training Yoruichi had given me all that time ago, but intensifying it to meet the new standards that I could reach with the amount of power I now possessed thanks to all the other types of training I had. I worked tirelessly in all four disciplines, sparring in the three that had combat effectivity while using Hoho to enhance them all. My Zanjutsu was about Rukia's level, at the highest level for a Lieutenant, and the same went for my Hakuda. Kido, however, was a different story. I had to travel out to the outer rim of Rukkon districts to use the full extent of my knowledge of the spells Rukia had taught me, causing a great amount of destruction in the process of using level 90 and above Kido spells. It was constantly paying off, since I could fight the Lieutenant level Soul Reapers as an equal. However, I had yet to be able to fight a Captain and have a decent chance at even a draw. Granted, I was able to fight Takeshi with his only wearing two seals, about two Captains level of strength, but that didn't mean I was in the same league as the Thirteen Captains of the Court Guard Squads. But my reputation would lead one to believe otherwise then that truth.

Daiki was right behind me, maintaining my pace as if I were walking. He was a master at Flash Step, almost to the point where I thought Yoruichi would have a fun game of tag with him. Daiki was excellent at Hakuda and Zanjutsu, but never really had much of an aptitude for Kido. He could use Shakkaho with ease, but that was the extent of his knowledge. But it was absolutely terrifying how skilled he was in stealth, throwing knives, and the use of his sword. He didn't simply go out on a mission, he stalked his prey and assassinated them with the highest precision. It wasn't a matter if you could spot him if he was watching you, it was a matter of if he let you spot him. It was because of this that I was glad he was a friend and not an enemy. Generally, that's how the entire Court Guard Squads felt in one way or another.

We reached the training grounds as a few early squad mates were talking about the general small talk as of late: Me. They talked in hushed voices about what she could be, how she got the way they thought she was, and all the gossip that surrounded her. Many confessed their fear of me in whispers to their friends, while others admitted the same in return. It made it all seem all the more quiet when they stopped their whispers as they felt the presence of both me and Daiki as we walked to the front of the training grounds and sat on a bench to wait. The squad mates, though weary of our presence now, continued talking among themselves as more and more of their friends and squad members arrived for the scheduled training. The more skilled members of the squad were either out on missions or guarding the barracks in the absence of the majority of the squad as it massed before us. As a precaution, Daiki had agreed to take over training in the case that there was an emergency that required my attention. But in the two and a half centuries since Ichigo asked for me to lead the squad in training form time to time, we had never needed that back up plan. I hoped it stayed that way.

We started once the majority of those that were supposed to attend arrived. They watched as I demonstrated a Zanjutsu technique on Daiki, and asked that they repeat the move until they all were able to master it. Everyone in the fifth squad was a well rounded solider in every discipline that the Academy, this was a requirement from before Ichigo was its Captain and it had remained. I taught Hoho, Daiki taught Hakuda, Rukia taught Kido, and Ichigo taught Zanjutsu. Because of this, our squad was the best there was in every aspect, just as when Aizen was its head. Many of the other squads looked up to us as the example to follow in the Court Guard Squads. I was considered a driving force in the ascension of the Fifth Squad, which as a blessing and a curse. It was just another thing that people added to the rumors about me.

"Alright, everyone take a break!" I called over the din of clashing blades.

"So what's next?" Daiki asked, appearing right next to me from a Flash Step.

I shrugged, looking out over the mingling crowds of resting Soul Reapers, "They could do with some Kido drills so that they have the rust shaken off when Rukia comes back."

"Alright," Daiki nodded, noticing the tone in my voice, "You leaving, then?"

"Yeah, Takeshi has a hearing from Central 46 about being put on probation for good behavior," I said, shrugging again, "I haven't been allowed to visit since I looked like a thirteen year old, so I doubt he'll remember who I am. I don't look at all like I did before."

"That's for sure," Daiki blushed, "I sure wouldn't recognize you."

I laughed, "Oh, whatever. I doubt it will take long after we met that he'll remember. Well, I better get moving then. I'd hate to be on the bad side of Central 46."

I nodded to Daiki and flashed away. I heard the squad mates briefly wonder out loud about where I was going, but quickly start get into position as Daiki began calling out commands. I smiled and continued on the building of Central 46. The Seireitei looked as peaceful and serene as ever. There were wispy clouds being blown in the breeze that carried the calming smell of nature with it. I looked around the Seireitei as I rose above it with each jump from one roof to the next. The squads were going about their usual business for their various Captains. There were guards standing watch over certain doors, which usually lead to places that only certain people could go into. People seemed happy as they walked through the streets, which made me happy in turn.

I arrived at the building of Central 46 without incident, stopping before the gates as I appeared out of my flash step. The guards, looking me up and down to confirm it was me, nodded their approval for my entry. It was easy to get around the Seireitei for me, since everyone knew my face and what I looked like from the stories that proceeded me. The scar on my cheek helped with the identification too. I walked slowly into the gates to traverse the bridge that crossed over the pond surrounding the entrance the the Central 46. After that, I stopped before the door and spoke in a clear voice so that the guards could hear me.

"It's Third Seat of Squad Five, Misami Kuchiki, asking permission to enter Central 46!"

"Permission granted," A monotone voice spoke through the door as it began to groan open. The two guards made a motion in the shadows of the door for me to enter, and I obliged. I walked through the doors and they closed right behind me. The guards resumed their posts, the most bored expression in their eyes as they did so. I sighed and continued down a flight of stairs and then another before standing in the spot light before the Central 46. I heard them, grumble as they took their seats behind the walls with their designated numbers. I stood up tall, or as tall as I could, and awaited their instructions. I always hated the Central 46, since they always seemed to hinder some things and do things that only helped themselves. I couldn't help but feel the feeling of superiority oozing out of everyone of the self absorbed beings that made up Central 46. I had no rational reason for hating them as much as I did, maybe it was because of the fact of how horribly they were treating Takeshi, whom I considered a friend. Or it could be that I was raised to dislike them as much as I did, and the hate was just manifesting towards these higher up nobles that had shown time and time again that they didn't feel the need to look after anyone that lived in a District outside of District Ten. All others were trash to them. That used to include me, as well, so I felt offended at this fact despite my being a member of the Kuchiki Clan.

"Lady Kuchiki," A member of Central 46 that knew the stories that proceeded me and tried to stay on my good side with generous titles said, her voice unwavering, "Please retrieve the prisoner from his chambers."

I bowed and turned towards the entrance to the jails. I descended the flights of stairs that lead to the lower levels of the jail, where they had put Takeshi with all his seals in a cell with the most powerful seals Kido had to offer. I almost laughed every time I ever thought longer then a second on the enormous amount of seals that they had placed on the Vasto Lorde. He always seemed happy to see me when I had visited before, when I was allowed to. He had a very discrete way of showing his affections towards my presence. There wasn't a change in his voice or his body language, but it was in his eyes. They way he looked at me just told me that he was happy I was there to keep him company. It wasn't the look that some boys gave me, a look that told the whole world that they had a crush on me and/or wanted to bed me. It was the same look the Ichigo looked at me with, the look that he gave his sisters when he was happy to see them happy. A loving big brother look, really, and Takeshi had it in abundance when I was in his field of view.

I finally entered into his cell when I heard the unmistakable voice of the Vasto Lorde in question, "Who's there?"

Before I could begin to answer, he appeared very close to me, looking me in the eyes before his vision strayed to...apparently interesting parts of my body as he spoke, "You seem like a girl that I know, but she never was this...good looking."

I laughed, nervously, and spoke, "Nice to see that you haven't changed, Takeshi. But the last time I saw you, Kisuke wasn't completely finished turning you into an Arrancar."

"Misami!?" Takeshi's now human face displayed both a shocked expression and a blush as he took a step back to give me the space I had made known that was to my favor, "What happened to you? Did you switch bodies with a supermodel and die her hair white?!"

I shrugged, giggling, "No, but I'll take that as a compliment."

He laughed nervously, mostly because of what he had just done, "Well, what're are you doing here after so long?"

"You're getting a hearing for a chance at probation on account of good behavior," I said, then added, "Which is hard to believe if you ask me."

"Well that's not very nice, short stuff," Takeshi mumbled, earning him a kick in the shin for his comment, "Ow!"

"Serves you right, jerk," I grinned, "Come on, we have a trial to go to!"

"Please don't sound so chipper about it," Takeshi groaned, "You know I hate sitting in front of all of those nobles like I'm a freak show."

I shrugged and lead him by the hand to the stairs that I had just now descended. The guards that were assigned to the area gave me a smile and a wave, which I returned in kind. We knew each other from my frequent visits all that time ago, and it surprised me that they had not been assigned elsewhere in the Seireitei since the last time I had seen them. Takeshi had changed greatly then the first time I had seen him. Gone was the white Hollow skin, and helmet looking mask, being replaced by tan skin and a similar helmet of Hollow bone that looked like the ancient Spartans. The black, vein like markings were barely visible except for they just appeared sprouting from his Hollow hole. He didn't have claws, just regular nails, like any other soul. He had normal teeth as well, no sharks grin from him anymore, thanks to the Hogyoku. He had the empty looking black eyes, that simultaneously held so much meaning that it was hard to look at a t times. He still had that predatory air about him, something that made you just want to shy away from him if you didn't have enough strength for him to acknowledge you. Anyone who didn't know of him as far as his personality was concerned, they trembled in his presence due to their fear of him. It was almost comical how uncanny it was to see weaker members of the Thirteen Quart Guard Squads shiver with fear of a Vasto Lorde in so many seals that it made it seem as if Aizen were a petty thief.

The walls and floor held the cold air still, the torches that lit the way casting defined shadows across the stones. There was cracks here and there from the foundation, but nothing other then that was terribly noteworthy about the dank and darkened halls of the jails below Central 46. Once we climbed every flight, I lead Takeshi out into a hall and then into the room where Central 46 stood waiting. Takeshi grumbled as he stood in the center of the room, with me standing to his left, as we awaited the judgement of Central 46.

"Takeshi Yagami," Said the leader of Central 46 in an annoyingly superior sounding tone that made my teeth clench, "We have reached the conclusion that you are well behaved enough to be allowed back into the Soul Society, but with a few restriction placed upon you to ensure that you do not do something regrettable."

"What is it?" Takeshi asked, sighing, "What other things are you going to do to weigh me down."

"First there shall be modifications to the seals that have been placed on you. They will be modified so that they can be unlocked with three keys. The keys will be given to the Captain, Lieutenant, and Third Seat of Squad Five. They will be the ones deciding when to release your seals, and they have the authority to place those seals back on should the need arise. Also there will be a special Kido placed on you that with tether you to the Third Seat, since you will be placed under her jurisdiction. This Kido will be invisible and dependent on how strong and lengthy Miss Kuchiki dictates it to be. With these two modifications, we allow you to be allowed back into the Soul Society."

"Your putting me on a leash?" Takeshi asked, raising an eyebrow with an almost amused smile.

"In a way, I suppose, but this was the best situation we could come up with given your circumstances, and origin," Said another member of Central 46.

Takeshi grumbled, almost as if he thought he were having a dream, "Fine. When do I get these new seals?"

The sound of rustling clothes as the lead noble made a motion to the guards, "Now."

* * *

I felt the cold metal of the key that I was given on my chest. I had made the key into a necklace with a length of leather string for safe keeping. The other two keys were in my bra, also for safe-keeping, and made their presence known with the same metallic chill. Takeshi followed close behind me, looking around the Seireitei in casual observation. The sky was still the same beautiful blue that it had been when I entered Central 46, but somehow the combination of Takeshi's presence and the contrast from the dark and oppressive Central 46 made the sky all the more perfect by comparison. If I had not had to go on a mission, I would have spent a day like today laying down peacefully in one of my hidden relaxing locations all around the Seireitei. The soft breeze would comb through my white hair, tugging it along with the tails of my scarf into the wind as the fluttering in the air. I would take a deep, long breath, lay down, and close my eyes. I would be at peace until I sensed that a servant was looking for me and I would have to return to the Kuchiki Manor.

Takeshi and I walked into the plaza before the Senkaimon. The guards nodded their permission, and Takeshi and I walked through the gate and into the Human World. Daiki had been okay with my absence, though he let me know just how much he didn't like the idea of doing my portion of the paper work on top of his. Despite the fact that I practically had to beg him to let me do a share of the paper work when we started. I'd rolled my eyes, then, saying my good-byes as I noticed the glare that he gave Takeshi as we left the office the he and I shared. I wondered what that could have been for.

"Alright," Takeshi said, looking over the vast city of Karakura, "What now?"

I sighed combing the city for the two spiritual pressures that we had been sent to meet. Ichigo and Rukia were by themselves in the park where Ichigo faced his first Arrancars. They had a very happy tint to their spiritual pressures, a sort of glow that was easily distinguishable from the din of their usual enormous spiritual pressures. As we drew closer, I could see that they were sitting down, cuddling net to each other and holding hands as they looked up into the night sky. Their faces were so serene and at peace that it made me feel like crying for a moment. The breeze ruffled their human clothes, and I could tell that they were both in Gigai, as they turned to gaze lovingly into each others eyes. Their wedding rings caught the pale light of the full moon, glinting in the relatively dimly lit park. Takeshi didn't seem to care, looking away and suddenly becoming very engrossed with the skyline off in the distance. I didn't really much care for how he thought of Rukia and Ichigo, since they were happy with each other. Seeing them like that stirred something inside me.

I had a burning desire, suddenly, to have a boyfriend of my own. I found it almost painful how lonely I felt, seeing how complete Rukia and Ichigo looked with each other. All I wanted to to do was to be looked at like Ichigo was looking his petite wife. A single tear, tears of joy for their happiness, fell from my ice blue eyes and that was the end of that emotional experince. We were close enough now that, even with the distraction of having Ichigo holding her and giving her the most sincere and crooked smile, Rukia couldn't miss Takeshi and I's presence.

"Misami?" Rukia said, turning in my direction.

By that time, all visages of my crying were gone and replaced with a soft smile, "Yeah!"

"What're you doing here?" Ichigo's trademark scowl returned.

"I wanted to give you something..." I said, slowly reaching up to my bra for the keys.

"Misami, what the heck are you...?!" Ichigo reddened like his namesake and his jaw dropped at what he thought I was doing.

I took the keys out slowly, going along with what he thought was happening, and gave them each one before bursting out laughing at Ichigo's face, "Oh, man, that's just priceless!"

"S-Shut up!" Ichigo growled, as Takeshi, Rukia and I started rolling on the grass unable to breathe due to our laughter.

After I had finished wheezing and holding my sides, I spoke, "Those keys that I just gave you are to Takeshi's seals. Central 46 said that you are the boss of that key, and its up to you when you use it. And you can use it to put the seal back on if you want. Right now, he's about as strong as a squad member, but Central 46 said that releasing one seal will basically make him as strong as a Captain, just for your information."

"Uh, oh," Rukia and Ichigo said in unison, then Rukia added, "Is that thing a seal too?"

I looked over to where Rukia was looking, and saw the Kido that tethered Takeshi to me. It was an actual collar, with four links of chain attached to it. That chain was connected to the invisible tether that the Kido Corps had cast. The tether was connected to my soul, in actuality, which wasn't as glamorous as if sounded. He looked at me, the chain clanking slightly, since he didn't feel like answering the question.

"It's his leash," I said, sighing, "It's a high level binding Kido that connects Takeshi to me."

"Uh, no offense, why you?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"None taken, and maybe because I am just that awesome," I shrugged, giving a triumphant smirk.

Ichigo merely rolled his eyes and pocketed the key, "Whatever. So how long are you going to stay?"

"Daiki said he'd be fine for a while," I said, pondering, "So maybe a week?"

"Sounds good to me!" Rukia smiled, "I guess that means we'll have to get your Gigai from Kisuke."

"The last time I wore my Gigai, I was thirteen," I laughed, then gestured to my bust and then the rest of my body, "I kind of changed a lot since then, if you can tell."

"Oh we can tell," Said Ichigo and Takeshi at the same time, both looking away before they could start to stare.

Rukia laughed, "Knowing Kisuke, he's probably going to already have your Gigai match your looks...and he'll most likely be admiring it as if it were...you get the picture."

I shivered, crossing my arms over my chest as if that would make it impossible for Kisuke to look as so vividly described, "I really hope that that isn't the case..."

I walked with Rukia in the quiet of the night, leaving Takeshi and Ichigo to wait for our return. The full moon light the way far better the then dimmed streetlamps of Karakura Town. The city hadn't really changed much in the past five centuries. The technology sure had improved, but overall the society and culture had remained unscathed by the advance of technology. The streets were metal, the ads and billboards floating holograms. Gone were phones that I had seen the last time I had been here, which were now replaced with chips inside the person so it seemed that they were talking to themselves almost. I saw a few with transparent pieces of glass that glowed with the information that was being displayed in a pale blue light.

"So, how are you and Daiki?" Rukia asked with a mischevious look on her face.

I blushed, and then nuzzled my face into my scarf to hide it, "Uh, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means, idiot," She grinned, "So, how's it going?"

"I have no idea what your talking about, Rukia," I rolled my eyes.

Suddenly, there was an enormous force that slammed into the both of us. I was forced to my knees, gasping for breath, while Rukia looked like she might join me soon enough. I looked around, trying to find the source of this power. To put two Lieutenant level Soul Reapers in the state we were in, I judged it was at least a Vasto Lorde. It must have been an immensely powerful one at that, I growled as the foul stench of Hollow filled the once calming midnight air. Regular Hollows appeared out of no where and everywhere all that the same time. The power that was behind this overwhelming force suddenly was before us, and looking down on the two of us like pieces of meat. I hated that look. But he seemed familiar, aside from that look. I had seen this Vasto Lorde before, some where. I remembered fighting him, and forcing him to retreat. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks as the Vasto Lorde spoke in the same sickening and enraging tone.

"Well if it isn't the little brat from five hundred years ago?" The assassin Vasto Lorde said, seeming to grin with all the evil and malice of the universe, "It must be my lucky night...

We've been waiting for you for a long time. Princess."


	14. The Den of Hell

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry about the extra long wait, but I had some writer's block through last week, and ever chance I had to write before that was take up with studying for my finals. I hope that this is a decent chapter, even though it's kind of short. Enjoy!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! Yup, that's pretty much the vibe I wanted to give off!**

**Thank you, NC2001, for reviewing! I'm glad you think so! I hope that you enjoy this chapter! **

**Thank you, MonoBlaze360, for reviewing! I glad that you've been following this story from the beginning! It means a lot to me that you've stayed for this long! I only wish that you'd reviewed sooner so I could have made it more enjoyable for everyone! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, my ideas, and my OCs.**

Rukia and I were enveloped in darkness.

I clung to her, my big sister and role model, since I had no idea what to do. We were in a jail cell from what I could tell, the walls made from something that was the Hueco Muendo equivalent of stone. The dense, putrid air of the Hollow world made it all too clear where we were, and it made me wrinkle my nose in distaste. Rukia pulled me close, whispering things in an attempt to try and make me stop trembling. I was worried, and I had no idea why. For some reason or another, i felt far more scared then I thought I should. I was more fearful now then when I faced Takeshi when he was on his rampage five hundred years ago. They had placed seals on Rukia and I, limiting both of our power down to the average soul. There were Hollow's as powerful as Lieutenants walking around the prison we were in as if they were grunts. The walls seemed to have some sort of draining affect on Rukia and I, making any small movement exceedingly tiring. It was dark, and cold, and I pulled the hem of my scarf up to try and stay warm. Rukia and I hugged each other to comfort and to share body heat.

The assassin Vasto Lorde had improved so much that the two of us had been completely caught off guard by it. We didn't even know what hit us, but something knock us out from behind. The last thing I saw before falling into unconsciousness was the Garganta opening behind the Vasto Lorde, the beady eyes of the Hollows waiting on the other side. When I woke up, my head was in Rukia's small lap as she was combing a hand through my white hair with her eyes closed. She had looked like she had woken up a long time ago, and seemed tired. I had lifted a hand to hers, and her had shot open, full of questions and hope that seemed destined to die later on if not proven. She had seemed to know just how much trouble we were in.

"Rukia?" I asked, my voice painfully small, "What happened?"

It was the first thing I had said since waking up, my head and body hurting way too much for me to make an attempt at doing anything else besides lay there. Rukia looked at me, then to the door, "We've been captured by a group of Vasto Lorde Hollows. From what I can see, we are in the palace Aizen used, Las Noches."

"Really?" I winced, my surprise stretching sore areas of my body.

Rukia nodded, "Don't worry, I'm sure that Ichigo will come and save us. He always has."

I sighed, trying a hand at a strained smile, "For better or for worse, that is very true."

Rukia smiled, and sighed, "We have to make our friends proud and keep our hopes up until they come to save us. These seals are some of the strongest I've seen, and they make standing way harder then it should be. I found that out the hard way."

"Rukia..." I croaked, the words as painful to say as my wounds, "I'm scared."

She looked down, and smiled reassuringly, "Hey, toughen up, Misami. You're a Kuchiki, after all."

I sighed and smiled under my scarf, defeated with the statement she had made. The dark walls of the prison were slightly less suffocating than before. I was still as weak as I was from before. My Shihakusho was tattered, as well as the edges of my scarf and tekko. I looked like I was just done fighting a war, with cuts and bruises all over my body. My power was at an all time low, my breaths shallow and weak. The edges of my vision sometimes became hazy and my peripheral vision suffered. I thought of all the people in the Soul Society that I knew, and what they would be doing in the situation I was in. Daiki would most likely slip into the shadows instead of the light and assassinate our captors when they came back. Ichigo would make so much racket and probably do something stupid like take on the entire Hollow force that had captured us. Byakuya would most likely outsmart the entire force of the Hollows, defeating them coolly despite the seals and wounds he had sustained. Takeshi would probably do exactly as Ichigo would have done, only he could do it without worrying about the restraints he had on. But me? All I could think of doing was sleeping, and waking up from this nightmare.

I was mad at myself for being so weak, especially with Rukia being stronger than me with more injuries. I didn't understand why I was so scared. I looked around the dark cell again, trying to find the source of my discomfort. Besides the darker-than-normal shadows, there really wasn't any particular thing that was unsettling to me. There was a small light that came through the barred window of our cell, pale moonlight that came from the ever present moon. I could hear the sands on Hueco Muendo shift and flow with the slightly roaring breeze. Rukia's soft, even breaths were louder then those winds, but not as loud as the beating of her heart. I sat up, lifting my head from her lap and hugging her. She put her arms around me and patted my head gently. I took a deep breath and let go of the irrational fears that had gripped so tightly to me.

Or tried to. There was something about this cell, this place, that was terrifyingly familiar. It felt like I had been here before, and that feeling forced me to look around one last time. Then I saw something that was unmistakably artificial. Scratched into the walls of the cell were the Japanese characters for "HELP ME!" in my handwriting when I was young. Very young, actually, about back when I just escaped the Hollows. How could that be there? There's no way that I had been her before, could there? There memories that were flooding my mind, memories of horrible things that I had been forced to forget because of a spell that had been cast on me. The jogging of my memory had shaken off at least part of that spell, and I could catch small parts of what had happened to me here. Through all of the things that I could remember now, all of which made me want to cry as much as seeing the look of a superior predator in the eyes of a Hollow, there was one word that was attached to all of them. That one word, a name, was forever ingrained into my mind as the reason I had suffered for so long. That one name, even thinking it made my body tremble with rage, fear and terror. That name held everything I despised about my existence.

_Aizen_.

"Alright," I said, pulling away and plopping down unceremoniously on the cells ground in front of Rukia, trying to stop those thoughts, "So what are we going to do?"

Rukia shrugged, holding up her wrist to show a white band, glowing a pale blue, "It would be a lot easier if we didn't have these seals to deal with."

I looked down at my own, which were glowing a white, but the bands were black, "When did these happen anyway?"

"Probably right after they knocked us out," Rukia said, rubbing the area around the manacle-like seal, "It's probably why Ichigo and the others haven't found us yet."

"Yeah, they wouldn't be able to sense us if we were this weak," I said, shaking my head.

Then we heard footsteps. The words that Rukia had been about to say died on her lips as those steps grew in volume. They weren't the usual footsteps that belonged to the average Hollow by any means. They were massive, thunderous, and intimidating. I flinched away from the door when those monstrous footsteps grew louder and stopped before our cell door. There was the sound of a key being jammed into the lock, the key being ripped clockwise, and the lock being opened. The door creaked open, slowly and meticulously. It was torture to wait for the door to open enough to see what was on the other side of the threshold. But when the mystery Hollow's identity was revealed, it made me wish that it hadn't.

Standing there before us was the other Vasto Lorde Hollow that I had fought five hundred years ago, the massive body builder one that seemed to personify brawn.

"Lookie who we have here," his layered voice shattered the pregnant silence, "C'mon. The boss wants to talk to you."

* * *

"What's taking them so long?" Ichigo grumbled, laying down on the darkened hill of the park in Karakura Town, "They should have been back a while ago."

"Don't look at me carrot-top," Takeshi growled, his form leaning against a tree with his left hand resting on the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

Ichigo grumbled, "What's wrong with you, Takeshi?"

The Arrancar in question turned his head away, "I'm not overly fond of spend any more time with your kind then I have to."

"I hate to break it to you," Ichigo said, "But I'm pretty much the only Human-Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid around for a long while. Well, I guess I'm not really human since I died a while ago."

"I'd rather talk with the Hollow side of you, then," Takeshi growled, still looking away.

"No can do," Ichigo shrugged, clasping his hands behind his head and laying down, "I try to keeping him in check as much as possible."

The night air was calm and crisp in the World of the Living, Takeshi thought, and it felt far better then the musty air of the prison cell he had been forced to live in for the past five centuries. The stars flickered brighter and dimmer against the black backdrop of the sky, all of their brilliance outclassed by the full moon. The pale light that came from that celestial body reminded him of Hueco Muendo, even though it was the wrong shape. The Captain of the Fifth Squad, the orange haired Soul Reaper laying down ten feet away from him, seemed to enjoy the weather. Takeshi couldn't understand what Misami saw to like in the carrot top, since he himself found the man to be extremely annoying. His raven-haired wife was her big sister, by how Misami acted around her and by legal means, so Takeshi could tolerate her. But all her wanted to do with this orange haired Captain was fight him with his untested abilities as an Arrancar. He was undoubtedly one of the strongest souls Takeshi had ever met, his spiritual pressure seeming to barely be held in check. The sword that he had across his back was a good length longer then all the other Zanpakuto he had seen, by about two to three inches, and seemed to have had plenty of experince with combat and victory alike. This only made him want to fight the man even more.

"Captain! Captain!" A low ranked seated officer yelled, appearing from a mediocre Flash Step and running the rest of the way up the hill towards the carrot top.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat up, "What's wrong?"

The squad member was panting, out of breath, "Its...the Third Seat...and the Lieutenant. They've been...captured!"

Takeshi, the instant he heard this, used a Sonido to appear before the Soul Reaper and lifted him off his feet by the collar of his shirt as he growled, "Where, who? Tell me!"

The Soul Reaper gulped, "Hollows! A Vasto Lorde with long arms and a hood! Please, don't hurt me!"

Takeshi threw the Soul Reaper to the ground, "Darn those stupid wannabe's..."

"You know who he's talking about?" Ichigo asked, looking at the Arrancar.

Takeshi grunted the affirmative, "I took three Adjuches under my care when I first became a Vasto Lorde. I trained them as best I could and they ascended a while later. They did anything I wanted them to do. They must have gotten stronger since I last saw them...God, I wish they would just let it go and stay where they belong!"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, cocking his head this time.

"I _mean _that I know what they want," Takeshi said, "And they want me back."

After that, Takeshi slashed a hand through the space in front of him. A Garganta appeared, the sound of the fabric of the dimensions filling their ears. The squad member scrambled away, with Ichigo yelling orders to immediately tell the Head Captain about what had just happened. Takeshi was already stepping through the portal to the world of Hollows, with Ichigo barely making it through. Takeshi was both glad and angry that the Captain went through.

On one hand, he hated him on the basis that he was a Soul Reaper and he was a Hollow. He wanted to hate him with all of his being, but there was the fact that Misami cared for him like she did. Takeshi felt the largest obligation in the world for the white haired Kuchiki that saved his life from the emptiness that had consumed it in Hueco Muendo. Not only did she give him an amazing fight when she was just at the physical age of eleven, but she brought him to a place where he could get stronger and have all the interesting fight he could hope for from the Eleventh Squad. By his code of honor, something he knew was so ingrained into his soul that it had carried over into the after life as a Hollow, he was bound to help and serve Misami in anyway that he could. She was like a little sister to him anyway, regardless, and one of the only friends he had in all of the Soul Society. Which made it hard for him to wholly hate him if Misami liked him for some reason. That was the reason he didn't strike Ichigo away before he could enter.

"Do you know where they are?" Ichigo asked, worry warping his usual scowling face.

Takeshi nodded, "They would have captured them and taken them to a place where they thought no Hollow would try and go. The only to places that I can think of are a cave in the Menos Forest, and Aizen's old palace."

"Las Noches?" Ichigo asked.

"That's what he called it?" Takeshi scoffed, "How original."

Takeshi continued through the Garganta and into the world of Hueco Muendo, the path he had created with his spiritual pressure through the portal dissipating as soon as Ichigo was through and the portal closed. The Arrancar looked around, peering into the familiar shadows of the Menos Forest, looking for any sign of life. Beady eyes of Hollows glared back, but mostly through Takeshi and at Ichigo. The smell of a Soul Reaper Captain was most likely what was attracting the amount of Hollows to the scene. Their number was growing by the second as more and more realized the presence of the carrot top. Menos Grande soon announced their presence with their roars of hunger, and the lesser Hollows joined in the chorus. The deafening howling of thousands of lost souls, their hunger so present in their calls that Takeshi almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

With one spike of his spiritual pressure, Takeshi gained dominance over all of the Hollows in the area. They, responding to the corresponding feel of his power, backed away slowly and felt compelled to forget the Soul Reaper Captain all together.

"What just happened?" Ichigo stared blankly at the retreating Hollows, his sword having come out of his scabbard and was now gripped in his hands.

"I told them that you're with me," Takeshi said, "And that if they tried anything, I'd kill them all."

Then he turned towards the network of caves that was to the west of their position, his gaze set on the destination. Ichigo, after glancing back at the receding Hollows, sheathed his sword and followed the Arrancar. The sands of the Menos Forest sifted beneath Takeshi's boots. He was wearing shorts, which looked a lot like athletic shorts from the Western countries. That was the extent of the clothing he wore. He was bare-chested and had no armor on. He didn't need it after all, since his skin was armor enough. His sword was at his left hip, within easy reach of his right hand for the draw. There was a sudden rush of spiritual pressure, though, and Takeshi soon saw the form of an Adjuches class Hollow that seemed like it would cause a problem.

"What do you think you're doing, low life," Takeshi growled, barely even sparing a glance for the Hollow.

"You don't scare me, traitor," The Adjuches growled back.

"Hmm, you've got guts," Takeshi said, pondering almost, "If I were still a Vasto Lorde, I would have taken you in and trained you. But that days have long since passed. I have no time for a pathetic Adjuches fly."

The Hollow, which did, in fact, look much like a fly, growled, "Screw you!"

He came at the Arrancar with a howl of blind rage, his two front-most legs surging forwards in a punching motion. Takeshi, seemingly without breaking his stride, side stepped the strike and slammed an elbow into the Adjuches back. The lower class Hollow slammed into the ground, a massive crater forming as dust kicked up. Ichigo stared blankly at the scene, then looked at Takeshi. The Arrancar didn't even stop to see what sort of havoc he had wrought.

"Where are they?" Takeshi said, stopping without looking back, "And you know _exactly _who I'm talking about."

"They are..." The Adjuches said, groaning in pain, "in Las Noches."

"As I thought, " Takeshi said, aiming a finger at him as he started to walk forward again, "Begone, weakling."

And with that, Takeshi fired a Cero that erased the Adjuches from existence.

* * *

The halls of the Hollow palace were dauntingly tall, the lights that illuminated them as dim as all the world of Hueco Muendo. Rukia's hand was gripping mine tightly, as if the thought of letting me go would mean the end of me. I held her hand just as much as she did, but I tried not to think any pessimistic thoughts. I wished the seals had not been placed on me, since they also dampened my senses to the point to where I could only sense those in my immediate area. I avoided the eyes of everyone but Rukia, since I was afraid of what I would find there. The soulless, hungering eyes of the Adjuches class Hollows that escorted us behind the Vasto Lorde sought mine however. I didn't want to see the look of what I had seen in my earliest memory. Something like that was as traumatic as it was infuriating. Even though the anger eclipsed the fear in battle, in the aftermath I would find myself crying into my pillow because all I could see and hear was those Hollows. I hated it, my only weakness, my only fear was something that I wasn't afraid of. I was suffering from a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress, and I could do nothing about it.

"Move it!" A Hollow roared, shoving me from behind.

I collapsed onto the ground after stumbling forward a good ten feet. Rukia, her hand still gripping mine, fell forward with me and fell on top of me. I was partially grateful I was able to break her fall, because Rukia seemed to have gone into a sort of semi-conscious state. It was like she was day dreaming or something like that. As if she were remembering something that had happened here that she wanted to forget but couldn't. I felt like it was something that, though not as scarring as what I went through here, was something that should be forgotten. I, on the other hand, was trying as hard as I could to hold it together. The memories of this place were getting clearer and clearer every time I saw something in this palace. A mark on a pillar, a certain crack on the wall or the ceiling, or a door that lead to a room that I had been in many times. I could almost hear my own screams of agony and terror echo through the halls of the palace as if it was happening all over again. The thought of that made my breath shallow.

Rukia, after a few tense seconds, snapped out of her trance as she realized she wasn't moving anywhere. And that I was having a harder time breathing with the combination of the memories plaguing my mind and her weight directly on my chest. She apologized softly, and got to her feet slowly. The Hollows, getting impatient, ripped both her and me up to our feet roughly. Almost falling over, Rukia and I recovered.

We walked on, and I had taken to holding Rukia's hand and staring at my feet as I walked. The seals on my wrists were heavy and starting to get rather irritating. I didn't like being in such a weak state. I could only imagine what Takeshi went through, especially since strength was one of his major aspects. I wanted to claw them away, but I doubted I would be able to.

I was shoved forward again, this time falling with Rukia into a room that seemed far too grand to be anything other than a throne room. I sensed that only three massive power signatures were in the room with us. The Adjuches were just outside the door, though, on the off chance that we could somehow get past the three Vasto Lorde in the room. I looked behind us, noting the locations of the lanky assassin like Vasto Lorde, and the strong muscled one. But the third spiritual pressure was unfamiliar at best. It was, strangely, familiar at the same time. It was as if I had sensed something like it before, but a long time ago. Could it have been when I had been her before? It didn't feel like it was that distant. It was almost exactly like Takeshi's spiritual pressure, back when I had faced off against him five hundred years. But it didn't seem like the real thing, as if it was faked. It was still disturbing to feel, as it had been the first time.

"Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki, and her beloved sister, Third Seat Misami Kuchiki," The Vasto Lorde said, giving off a very authoritative and knowledgeable aura along with an intimidating one, "I am Flamun. The two behind you are Agramon and Torak. We are not going to hurt you unless you give us a fair reason to."

Our response was an indifferent glare that would have made Byakuya proud.

Flamun, the leader apparently, growled lowly in irritation, "Anyway. As long as you lovely ladies are here, why don't you serve us some dinner like good house maids?"

Torak, the muscly one, leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I like my food raw, wench."

And with that, the floor beneath us fell through and Rukia and I tumbled down through a void.

* * *

Takeshi stomped through the Menos Forest, stopping in a clearing that was roughly the size of the arena that he had fought Misami in. Ichigo had stayed close behind, and seemed antsy about the whole ordeal. Takeshi hadn't said a word since he had killed that Adjuches, even though he still had all of the seals still in place. He had just thundered through the forest in a straight line until now.

"They're right above us," Takeshi said.

"Okay," Ichigo said, looking up, "How are we going to get up there?"

"That's the easy part," Takeshi said, "The Hollows that captured your wife and Misami are three extremely powerful Vasto Lorde class, with a host of high level Adjuches under them. I can't fight the Vasto Lorde, and the top fifty percent of the Adjuches because of these seals. Even if you release one of my seals, that will only free me up to be able to beat about the lower seventy-five percent of the Adjuches. I personally doubt you'll be able to beat any of the Vasto Lorde in a one-on-one battle without using your Bankai. Most likely, you'll have to Hollowfy too. It's not that I'm calling you weak, mind you, but I personally trained these three to be as strong as I am. That is on top of their being Vasto Lorde. So, if you do run into them, don't be stupid."

"It's almost as if you care about what happens to me," Ichigo smirked.

Takeshi glared at him, "Misami cares about you, not me. I couldn't care less about you, to be honest, but if you got hurt that would make Misami sad. And that's the last thing I want to see happen."

"Right.." Ichigo said, looking away.

Takeshi rolled his eyes, looked up and then closed them. A moment later, the sands that made the canopy of the Menos Forest fell through, and they created a hole to jump through. Forcing some of their spiritual pressure into their legs, the two of them jumped up to the ground level of Hueco Muendo. The sands shifted and filled in the hole the instant the two of them cleared the opening. The air was noticeably clearer, and colder. Ichigo seemed to want for the cloaks that Rukia and Renji had brought with them the last time Ichigo had been to the palace of Las Noches. Takeshi, barely even noticing Ichigo at that point, looked forward. When Ichigo looked over to where the Arrancar's gaze was aimed, he was struck with the image of a crumbling Las Noches. Some of the towers were collapsed, and the dome had some hole in it. There were obvious signs of battle, in addition to the battle scars from when the Soul Reapers had attacked the palace all that time ago. Great cracks had formed along the walls, and large chunks from the palace were littering the grounds around it. But there still was a part of the palace, the farthest away from them, that was unscathed. This part of the palace was obviously being used at the moment, as evidenced by the sheer amount of Hollow that emanating from there.

"We need to hurry," Takeshi said, gritting his teeth, "I taught those Vasto Lorde to be just as cruel as I was. But they didn't have the code of honor I do. I'd be willing to bet that they are doing some terrible things to them..."

Ichigo nodded, and they set off into the palace. And they would have made it if it weren't for the sound of a familiar voice, "Itsigo!"

"Nel?" Ichigo's eyes went wide, right before the Arrancar child hugged his face.

* * *

"Let's move it, ladies!" Agramon roared, "Those Hollows aren't going to just jump into our mouths!"

Rukia and I stumbled away from the voice of the assassin Hollow, but it only lead deeper into the clutches of the lesser Hollows. We were completely surrounded, and defenseless without our Kido and our Zanpakuto. The Hollows knew just how screwed we were and they were toying with us. Rukia and I had maintained our stone cold glares, showing none of the emotions that would elicit a reaction out of our enemies. Thankfully the seals left enough energy for us to use Flash Step to get away from the worst of the Hollows, but we still have to wait between uses because there wasn't that much to go around. The Hollows seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly, as if this was all just a big game to them.

I've already had enough flash backs from this, and that's why Rukia and I were alive without a scratch. Aizen, back when he was doing those horrible experiments on me all that time ago, had done this exact same game with me. I was barely able to walk, and he had forced me into this same pit that held these ravenous Hollows. It seemed that he wanted to put me into life threatening situations to make me fight. It was here where I had snapped, just like when I was fighting those Vasto Lorde the first time I met them, for the first time and defeated those Hollows with my own hands. The enemy leader in the Winter War had forced a practically newborn child to kill fifty Hollows with her own hands. I couldn't remember yet why exactly Aizen had done that to me, and just thinking about it now was scaring me, but all I knew was that it was terrifying. All the things that man-no, that _thing_\- did to me when I was so young, they were for a purpose that I didn't want to know. All I knew is that I wasn't going to snap in front of Rukia again unless I _absolutely_ had to.

"C'mon, Rukia! Over here!" I yelled, grabbing her wrist and jerking her behind a pillar.

"Wha-?" Rukia exclaimed she she suddenly found herself temporarily out of harms way, "Wait, how did you know this was here."

My memory answered that question with a flashback of an experience that made me wince, but I shook my head and lied through my teeth, "I just saw it. I thought it looked out of the way..."

"Yeah, yeah," Rukia wasn't really listening, "Anyway, how are we supposed to get out of here?"

"I don't know..." I lied again, and I almost winced again as the answer flashed in my mind just as painfully as the last time, "Maybe there's some sort of escape hatch that leads out of here? I wish I could say that those three Vasto Lorde would let us at least go back to our cell after killing all of the Hollows, but I get the feeling that they would just restock and sent us back in."

"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past them," Rukia nodded, scooting closer to where I was sitting, "But we have to last long enough for Ichigo to save us."

"Don't leave Takeshi out of it," I said, shrugging, "If there's fighting, he'll be the one leading the charge, even if it's just him in it."

Rukia snickered, quietly though, "That's just like him...I wish I could sense more then just a few hundred feet, though, it's making me kind of antsy."

I nodded my agreement, "I just hope that Ichigo can hurry."

"Hey! They're over there!" A Hollow called, pointing to the pillar we were behind.

I shrugged, at least glad for the rest, but I doubted it was enough. Then I remembered something that made me want to slap myself for forgetting. My hand flew to my right hip, and I ripped away the Bakudo that hid my second sword. Rukia's eyes widened, and a smirk played at her lips as she saw the Kyokko tear away and my hand grip the hilt of my sword. I pulled it out of its scabbard with my left hand and readied myself. Rukia moved so that she was behind me as I faced the Hollows that were swarming towards us. Just as they neared, I lashed out with all I had.

I cut three of them down with a combo strike, but that made me feel dizzy from the sapping of my energy reserves. I Flash Stepped away into the shadows with Rukia with the last of me energy and collapsed onto the ground. Rukia hugged me close, so that I didn't fall out of the cover of the darkness. We were both breathing hard, but I was far more exhausted then Rukia. I looked around the cave we were in, noting all the hiding spots the horrible memories I had had to remember had afforded me, and looked around the place to find where all the Hollows were located. There were about twenty-five of them, with only Torak watching personally. _He must have switched out with Agramon at some point_, I thought. I rose, my energy returning, and tried to find a way to execute the plan that was forming in my head.

"Misami...What're you-?" Rukia began.

"Trust me, Rukia," I said, "And...please...don't watch what I'm about to do."

* * *

Takeshi could tell that they were close, but he still wasn't as good at sensing as Misami or Rukia, so he couldn't tell the exact position of where they were. But the Hollows that were currently being engaged in combat were giving off an very easily traceable signature. They seemed rather pleased, as if they were doing something that they rather enjoyed, and they seemed close. Takeshi found the Arrancar, Nel, to be one of the most annoying things he had ever come across. She was clingy, obnoxious, and loud. She wouldn't stop messing with Ichigo and riding on his back. Takeshi was frankly glad that he wasn't having to deal with that king of annoyance. Ichigo obviously knew her from somewhere, the most likely scenario being that they met while Ichigo was in Hueco Muendo the last time Ichigo was here. Takeshi only knew Nel from the rumors floating around the Hollow world at the height of the Winter War. She was feared, and that was mostly due to only her destructive exploits being known, but that definitely wouldn't be the case if they knew what she looked like right now.

"Itsigo, who's that?" Nel asked the carrot top for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

"That's an Arrancar named Takeshi Yagami," Ichigo said, "He just got out of prison because of good behavior."

"Good behavior, my butt, carrot top," Takeshi growled, "All I did was sit there!"

"Nel thinks your funny!" Nel giggled, pointing at Takeshi as she did.

"Funny huh?" Takeshi's eye twitched, "C'mere you little brat!"

Takeshi made to grab Nel, but she just shifted her body weight so that Ichigo was between her and him. Takeshi killed all his momentum, stopping just before he crashed into Ichigo, and reached around to grab her from where she clung to the orange haired Captain. The little Arrancar jumped off and started to run around, with Takeshi chasing her. Nel was laughing the entire time, as if she were having the time of her life, while Takeshi was very much looking like he was having the opposite. Takeshi chased the child Arrancar around the ruined hallways of the palace, through doorways and corridors. Ichigo was no where to be seen, but they could hear him calling them back as if they were wayward children.

"Whe-Where's Itsigo?" Nel stopped and started to whimper when she realized that they were no where near the carrot top in question.

Takeshi shrugged, "I guess we lost him."

"Nel doesn't like that! Nel wants to be with Itsigo!" Nel started to cry, plopping down on the ground.

Takeshi groaned, then his face went stone, "Nel...shut up."

"Nel thinks-" Nel started to say.

"No, really, be quiet," Takeshi said, putting a hand up as he felt for something with his senses.

This time the child Arrancar obliged and she toned don her crying to a mere quiet whimper. He looked around the room that they had ended up in. There were far less cracks in the walls, or chunks missing from them. The floors weren't as marred, cratered, and dirty. There actually looked as if there had been some degree of house cleaning done to this section of Las Noches. Nel began to notice almost as quickly, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks as she rose to her full height. Takeshi could hear voices. They weren't in his head, for the first time in a while, but they were bouncing on the walls so much that he couldn't tell where exactly they were coming from. But something was telling him that they were being watched, and it provoked him enough for him to draw his Zanpakuto. Nel looked over to him, seeing the blade, and quickly got behind the bigger Arrancar. Takeshi felt a twinge on annoyance as Nel latched onto his calf, but found that to be irrelevant in the current situation, so he tuned his sense back to finding the enemy. There were plenty of shadows to hide in, since there wasn't much light to go around the room. Since he had the seals on his body, his ability to sense spiritual pressures as significantly dulled. Nel, however, had no such restrictions.

"Nel sees them, Takeshi! Right there!" Nel shouted.

Takeshi looked to where the little Arrancar was pointing, and saw what she was seeing. A slightly darker shadow amidst the real ones. And a pair of familiar gleaming Hollow eyes. He readied his blade just in time to block the surprise attack from the the stealthy Hollow. It was a bat-like Hollow, with a mawed mask and leathery wings attached to long arms. It's legs were made of pure muscle which afforded it the ability to spring out of the shadows like it did. It seemed to have the ability to darken its hide to blend in with the shadows, which easily explained why Takeshi wasn't able to see where it was even though it was right in front of him. The first attack he blocked was the Hollow's wing, then he parried the next strike. Then, using his physical strength, he cleaved the Hollow in half while he had been stunned by the parry. The whole ordeal lasted about ten or fifteen seconds, but it was on of the hardest things Takeshi had to do in five hundred years since the seals he was forced to wear made him weak.

He liked it. It made things more challenging and enjoyable, even with the added factor of it becoming life threatening. It had been a long time since there was the fact that he could lose his life if he lost. It made winning all the more enjoyable when he thought of what would have happened had it been the opposite. As the Hollow's corpse dissipated, Takeshi turned to the child Arrancar that hadn't stopped clinging to him despite what had just happened.

"Are you just going to hold on to me for the rest of the day?" He asked, letting his annoyance show.

"Nel likes you, Takeshi!" Was her answer, and she climbed up to hung off the back of his right shoulder.

Sighing, making it sound more like a growl of irritation, Takeshi ignored the little Arrancar and started to move forward, "God, you can be a handful."

She only giggled. Takeshi looked at the walls and the ceiling above him, following the areas that looked far cleaner then those before them. They were getting closer, as the cracks went from ever-present to almost non-existent as they walked on. There were no missing chunks from the walls after a while, Takeshi noted as Nel began to babble on and on about what she was seeing, what she liked, and what she was thinking. All things that Takeshi didn't care about in the slightest. Eventually, he came across a group of Hollows that looked rather strong by comparison to the others he had seen earlier.

They were all Adjuches class, with varying bodies, masks, and abilities. Takeshi could tell from where he was a hundred feet away that they were all Lieutenant level in power and strength, and would have made fine pupils of his if he were still training Hollows. They seemed to be carrying out orders of some kind, and all of them seemed Hell-bent of finishing it to the letter. Takeshi could easily sense the fear that they were feeling for the ones that were giving them those orders, and that told him exactly who he was dealing with. He had personally trained three Adjuches, so much so that they ascended to Vasto Lorde. They each embodied an aspect of his personality. One was a master strategist with monstrous strength that had the ability to use fire attacks. While another was the side of him that allowed him t have an astonishing high top speed that was able to open and close portals and Gargantas amazingly quickly. And the final one was the Vasto Lorde that embodied his lust for strength, whom was his own competitor for lifting the heaviest of objects. All three of them were feared in their own right, and they in turn feared Takeshi. The had the utmost respect and loyal to him, and would have done anything he asked. Takeshi had not seen them since he was captured by the Soul Reapers after his fight with the two Kuchikis.

"Nel," Takeshi whispered, "Do you think you could distract them somehow so that I can get past?"

She nodded vigorously, "Nel can do that Takeshi!"

"Okay, on three?"

Another nod.

"1...2...3!"

* * *

I jumped out from the shadows as soon as I finished talking. I didn't like this plan that I had come up with, and wished that there was another way. But the only other option was to continue running away from the Hollows, and that was even less favorable then what I was going to do. I looked around the dungeon-like pit that we were in one last time. I saw where all the hiding spots that had used were, most were now too small for me to fit in since I was much bigger then the last time that I had had to go through this nightmare. All the Hollows were watching me with that same expression that I despised, that same predatory, superior look that made my stomach churn with hatred. But instead of look away and ignoring it like I had for the entire time that I had been down here with Rukia, I noticed it more then I ever have. And what happened as a result was exactly what I that was going to happen.

I began to feel closed off from my own senses and body. I felt like my hatred for these Hollow scum was swallowing me whole. The white and black flames of my spiritual pressure flared and engulfed my body. My grip on the hilt of my sword tightened, and it almost felt as if I tightened it any more the hilt would snap. Absolute rage overcame every part of my thoughts and my instincts. I wanted nothing more then to see all of the Hollows before me fall into oblivion. Any thoughts of my sister, Ichigo, Takeshi, or even what I thought of everything faded into unimportance, then to nothingness as I was enveloped in the darkness of my own heart. It was inside me, this pure and absolute anger that eclipsed everything that I thought was important to me. It was a part of me that I had ignored ever since arriving in the Soul Society. I had forced this side of me into the deepest, darkest part of my heart, hoping that I would never have to see it again.

Then I relinquished all of the hate that had been welling up inside, and gave into the void of destruction. The soulless, cold-blooded killer part of my soul was unleashed on the world for the seventh time in my memory. The Hollows that were my opponents didn't have a chance in Hell. One after the other they were destroyed, beheaded or dismembered at times. I never had to use my right hand, making quick and brutally efficient work. The sound of blood splattering the ground and the walls, of limbs slamming down on the floor, of the horrible cries of agony that came from the fallen Hollow filling the air. And something happened amidst that that made my heart cringe. I was enjoying it. I was experiencing pure and utter bliss, with a blood splatter on my cheek and my clothes, I was having _fun_. It was as if there was nothing more satisfying then cutting down Hollow after Hollow.

"What's going on in here?" Sounded the voice of one of the Vasto Lorde, but I didn't care to figure out which one.

No one responded, since there was no one left but Rukia and I. He looked around the dungeon, only seeing the corpses of the fallen. He, unlike most of the people that saw the destruction my dark side brings, didn't seem scared. He seemed angry that they were all dead. He looked around the area, trying to find the culprit for what he saw. He had his answer soon enough.

I appeared behind him, my blade drawn back to strike, falling through the air silently. What I didn't was for the Vasto Lorde, Agramon, the assassin type, to turn around and catch my sword with only his thumb and index finger. My eyes, even though they really didn't feel like they were mine, widened ever so slightly in surprise. But that was the extent of my reaction. Agramon simply grabbed the blade of my bloodied sword and threw me over the top of his head. I soared through the air, out of breath and energy, and into a pillar.

Light exploded in my skull, the impact knocking what ever sense was left in me. Surprisingly, I was still in the terrifying dark version of myself after it. I thought that the impact would have snapped me out of it. But soon my mind was again consumed by the hatred. The rage. The blood lust.

Then the wall to the right of the Vasto Lorde exploded to reveal a certain pair of Arrancars that were very close to me.

"Oh, _there _you are," Takeshi said, sounding annoyed.

"Misami!" Nel beamed.

_Oh, great, _I thought to myself.


	15. Under the Facade of the Sky

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope that you've been enjoying the story thus far! I apologize if this feels slightly sporadic with all the perspective changes, but anime's do do this at times when there's a lot going on. For now, I hope that you all can enjoy the story just as much as you have so far! Please review if anything majorly wrong with the story catches your eye so I can fix it, but try to add in something that you like from the story so I'll know what to keep doing! Anyways, enough with the babbling, on with the chapter!**

**Thank you, AnimeKpop7, for reviewing! Glad your enjoying it! Thanks for the thumbs up!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only my OCs, the plot and ideas that are in this story. **

I blinked, the sight of Nel throwing me out of my dark mode, "What are you doing here?"

"Misami!" Nel screamed with joy running pasted the confused enemy Vasto Lorde as if he were an inanimate object, "Nel missed you!"

The child Arrancar slammed into my chest and hugged me tightly, and I wheezed, "I'm glad to see you, too, Nel."

I hugged the child Arrancar back, then looked over to Takeshi. The Arrancar in question shrugged with a not-my-fault look on his face. We were completely ignoring the Vasto Lorde in between us, Nel covering up most of our attention. Agramon was looking from me, whom had an Arrancar hugging my chest, to Takeshi, who looked slightly like his old Vasto Lorde self. I had been so focused on surviving, and so plagued by the constant emotionally scarring flashbacks, that I hadn't noticed Agramon returning to the cave. He looked to Takeshi with a sort of confused expression, as if he knew him but he just couldn't remember what he was looking at. I was just glad that his attention was away from Rukia and I.

_Rukia! _I thought as I remembered that I had left my adopted sister in the shadows of the cave.

As if on cue, the Soul Reaper Lieutenant emerged from the hiding spot where I had asked her to stay. She looked over to Nel and Takeshi with relieved and confusion on her features, but when she laid eyes on me, it turned into worry. Instantly, I knew that she had seen me in my dark mode, the part of me that I had been trying to hide from even myself for the longest time. She looked like she wanted to ask about it, but she also had the sense that it wasn't the best time to talk about anything other then what will get us out of here. I had the feeling that she would ask about it when we got back to the Soul Society. She had been taking note of how I knew all the hiding spots, how I recognized the palace of Las Noches, how I seemed to have gone through this before. Now, she was curious, and it wouldn't take long before she got her orange haired husband to feel the same way. I owed both of them so much that I had promised I would do anything that they asked if it was in my power, so I would be forced to tell them everything that they want to know. Even though it meant that I would have to re-live everything that I went through in this horrible place in order to tell them.

I looked away from her gaze, ashamed, and looked over to Takeshi. I noticed that he had realized who the enemy before him was, and he had already subconsciously rested his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. From what I could see, the enemy Vasto Lorde was prepared for battle too. I looked down at Nel, who still had her face buried into my chest area, and was starting to cry and drool all over me. I sighed, resisting the urge to throw the child Arrancar away from my body and cringe at how disgusting it was. She was a good friend of mine, with us having met when I had gone with Rukia into Hueco Muendo for a scouting mission a while back, so I didn't want to hurt her feelings. So I compromised and peeled Nel off of me slowly, then held her in my lap with her nose and drool facing _away _from me. She rubbed her eyes and sniffled, looking around.

"Where's Itsigo?" Nel asked.

I blinked, "Ichigo's here?"

Nel nodded vigorously, "Nel was just with Itsigo!"

I patted her head and looked over to Takeshi for confirmation. Rukia sat beside me and looked over to the Arrancar as well. Takeshi shrugged off the attention and turned his gaze back to the Vasto Lorde before him. They squared off, circling each other as if they were two alpha males in a wolf pack, with Takeshi slowly drawing his sword as Agramon clenched his fists. They looked at each other with predatory looks in their eyes, a more sinister edge forming in Takeshi's gaze. He was in his element now, weapon in hand and an enemy that he didn't have to hold back against. I noticed that he still had all of his seals still on his body, limiting his power to the point that there was no way that he could possibly win against a Vasto Lorde. I subconsciously clutched at the key hanging around my neck. The key that belonged to the strongest seal on his body. If I could somehow reach Takeshi, unlock that seal, and then get out of his way, then he just might have a chance.

The only question was how, though.

Takeshi lunged forwards, his sword slicing through the air towards Agramon. The Vasto Lorde dodged to the right and sent a fist into Takeshi's jaw. The Arrancar flew through the air, tumbling end over end and collapsing on the ground. He got up, busied but seeming to not even notice, and charged again. But instead of repeating the last strike that he had attempted, he fired three small Ceros, Balas, to the right, left, and center of Agramon's chest. Dodging the other two by going right, he was hit by the third and disoriented. There was no damage done by the Bala, since it was too weak thanks to the seals, but it did do its job perfectly. Takeshi thundered in, and skewered the Vasto Lorde on his sword with a sneer. The lanky-limbed assassin Vasto Lorde coughed up blood, and twitched from the subsequent pain, but that was the extent of his reaction.

The Vasto Lorde pushed the Arrancar away, unsheathing the sword embedded in his chest cavity, with a grunt of effort and pain. Takeshi stumbled back, thrown off balance for the moment. Agramon disappeared in a burst of high speed Sonido. Takeshi regained his footing and looked around the cavern for his opponent. He looked over at me, and I pointed exactly where I thought he would show up, since I had seen him use his amazing speed before. Takeshi nodded and slashed the air I had indicated. Amazingly, blood spurted from the air and Agramon's form appeared a beat later with surprise etched into his aura. The cut was from his right shoulder to his left hip, and it was a deep cut considering the handicaps that were placed upon the Arrancar.

Despite this, Agramon recovered and back handed Takeshi away with enough force to behead a normal human. Takeshi flew away, stunned by the attack. Blood flew from his mouth and nose, his face distorted by the blow. That wasn't the thing that was worrying me all that much. Sure, I didn't want to see one of my friends get hurt, since that was against my personality. But the more pressing issue of his body flying _directly _at me sort of overshadowed my concern for his well-being at that moment.

I screamed like a school girl and tried to scramble away from the surging mass of the Arrancar flying towards me. He had an oh-crap look on his face as he raced towards me involuntarily. Rukia and Nel somehow made it out of his way, though I wasn't so lucky. Takeshi slammed into me with the force of a freight train.

The air was knocked away from my lungs as the full force of the impact struck my body. Takeshi and I tumbled for what felt like forever. My head was spinning, and my body felt sore. There was something resting on my bust, and it felt rather uncomfortable to be honest. I thought it was a piece of rubble, since we did happen to plow through one of the supports that held up the roof to the cavern. But that theory was proven wrong when the "rubble" squeezed my bust through my tattered Shihakusho. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I looked down to see what was grabbing me in that area, and saw Takeshi laying down with his face buried in my stomach, and seemed to not even realize what he was doing. That, however, didn't stop me from screaming at the violating feeling of what he was doing, of course.

I screamed and slapped Takeshi hard on the cheek. He exclaimed at the sudden pain, not expecting it in the slightest. The violating hand flew from my bust so that he could hold his new wound. Then, in the haze of being both freaked out and irritated with Takeshi, I realized that there was the opportunity I was looking for with Takeshi away from Agramon and with us having enough time for me to unlock the seal that corresponded with my key. I took the object in question from where it hung from my neck and jammed it into one of the key holes that were on his wrist. I turned the key, and took off the seal discreetly from his wrist.

He muttered his thanks and I slapped him for not apologizing first. I shoved him off of me and pointed furiously at the Vasto Lorde, my cheeks still flush with red. He chose not to look into my eyes, and faced the Vasto Lorde Assassin. I felt myself holding my chest as if it would erase the lingering feeling of Takeshi's hand, as I watched him rise to his feet and grip his sword. Agramon looked at him questioningly, as if he was confused as to why he would be getting up.

"Where is Takeshi Yagami, my master?" Agramon said, as Takeshi stopped a good ten feet away from him.

"You're looking at him," Takeshi said, "I just got more powerful then sealed away."

"How dare you say that!" Agramon exclaimed, sounding highly offended, "To imitate my master, call yourself him, and wield a blade? I'll slay you where you stand, impostor!"

Takeshi laughed, flaring his now Lieutenant level spiritual pressure, "Bring it on, Agramon. Let's see how much you've improved over the years."

They surged towards each other again. Takeshi slashed at Agramon's limbs, getting almost close enough to slash the tendons to his opponent's muscles but not quite. The cuts were shallow and slightly off, mostly because Takeshi had not had that much practice with Zanjutsu. The instant that he realized that the attack didn't work, He punched Agramon with his free hand in the chest. The wind knocked out of him by the immensely more powerful blow then the last time he had sustained it, Agramon went flying upwards. Takeshi, using a Sonido, appeared above him and slammed his fists down on the Vasto Lorde in a double-ax handle strike while still holding his Zanpakuto. The pommel of the sword slammed into the cranium of the assassin Hollow, cracks forming in the Hollow mask. I looked away, hoping that I wouldn't see the identity of the being that had forced me to go through so much. Thankfully, the mask didn't shatter and the Hollow's high speed regeneration mended the damage just after he slammed into the ground of the cavern.

A huge dust cloud formed from the impact of the Vasto Lorde into the ground, and I could hear that he was coughing up blood as a result of the force. Takeshi didn't waste any time, and flipped his blade around into a reverse grip and held it out in front of him. The blade aimed straight for his opponent's chest cavity, Takeshi fell. He would have skewered and pinned the Vasto Lorde to the ground, had he been a millisecond faster then he had. The Vasto Lorde used his amazing speed to dodge the painful blow, and he appeared ten yards away, out of breath.

Takeshi grinned, his menacing look in full view thanks to his transformation from Vasto Lorde to Arrancar. I was thankful that he had had a Hollow mask covering his features during our fight five hundred years ago. I had no doubt that that look in his eyes would have either made me snap and give into my dark side, or scared me so much that I would have lost a lot sooner to him and not had given Byakuya enough time to find me. I could tell that the look that was on Takeshi had been something that could easily make some of the most determined of fighters falter in their resolve to fight. And, right at that moment, it seemed as if that was exactly what it was doing to Agramon. He looked as if he had seen that look, he had blinked and taken a step back as if a train had hit him. But he soon regained his composure as he seemed to assure himself that he could easily kill the Arrancar in front of him because of the difference in their power. I shook my head if that assumption was correct, thinking again of my fight with Takeshi. A fight that I had held my own in a fight despite Takeshi being able to take out Captains and Lieutenants, while I had the spiritual pressure of a Fourth Seat.

Takeshi slowly walked forwards, slowly. Agramon took another step back, then stood his ground. He lowered himself into a fighting position, his fists clenching. They both slipped into Sonidos, the buzz of the high speed Hollow ability sawing through the air harshly. Shock waves of exchanged blows, so powerful that they were visible, exploded all over the air of the cavern like fireworks. The power of Takeshi's blows seemed to be increasing, somehow, despite the fact that he still had the other two seals on his body. His abilities were beginning to transcend that of mine, something that wasn't supposed to happen. The seals of the keys given to Rukia, Ichigo, and I were corresponding to our respective strength levels. The seal that I released was supposed to only allow Takeshi access to abilities that were equal to that of me, and the key that Rukia had would allow him to go to her abilities as a Soul Reaper with captain level spiritual pressure. Ichigo's key allowed Takeshi to gain access to the rest of his powers, though they wouldn't equal Ichigo since he was as powerful as he was with his special case of being a Soul Reaper-Hollow Hybrid in which both sides of his soul were of the highest caliber of spiritual pressure.

I tried taking off the seals for the hundredth time since I had awoken. Of course, it was futile, the seals having been made just for the purpose they were serving. They were the same seals, though a bigger size to fit, as the ones I had sometimes been forced to wear when I was in this wretched palace the last time. They were made to dampen everything that could aid in either my escape or my fighting ability. Thankfully, the Vasto Lorde hadn't found out that there was a function of these particular seals that allowed them to paralyze me if they found the control console. Seeing as all they did was find the seals and put them on Rukia and I, I felt safe in assuming that they hadn't figured it out yet.

They shock waves subsided, and the two fighting Hollows became slow enough to see. I sighed as I realized what I had originally guessed was true. They weren't even close to finishing their fight, both looking as if they had just woke up, much less been fighting for the past ten minutes or so. I saw something that I had not wanted to see in the aura of Agramon. I saw that he was not drawing out the fight for his own enjoyment, something that Takeshi's aura practically oozed. Agramon was stalling. His attention wasn't solely on Takeshi. He was looking around whenever he had a small window of time to do so. I found my gaze flicking all over the cavern, looking to the exits and entrances that I had remembered from the small parts of my memory that I had painfully regained. The same shadows lingered as before, the lighting sources in the cavern not being too generous in revealing their secrets. I was starting to get anxious, not liking having Agramon keeping our only able-bodied fighter busy while there were two other Vasto Lorde lurking about, one of them supposedly being a master strategist.

Suddenly, a blood red Cero blazed not even five feet to my right, the tell tale sound ringing in my ears as my heart leaped out of my chest. I screamed, my blood running cold out of the fear that came with realizing that I almost died.

"What the heck, Takeshi!?" I exclaimed, earning a glance from the Arrancar before he slashed at his opponent.

"What?" He added, as if it was an afterthought.

"Nearly _killed _me!" I yelled angrily.

"Nel tried to warn Misami," Nel said, rather patronizingly for a child, "But Misami kept looking awound!"

I blinked, "Huh?"

Rukia, who had been holding her breath, nodded, "She _did _tell you he was about to fire it. You were looking around like you'd seen a ghost."

"I...uh," I sighed, shaking my head.

I watched as blow after blow was traded between the two powerful opponents, seeming to get larger and larger with each strike. I looked over to Rukia. She was in the same state as I was. Her Shihakusho was tattered, her face dirty and bruised. The skin around her seals was red and raw, slash marks where the Hollows had struck her with either whip like limbs or sharp talons. Her tekko were in the same state as her clothes. She had a small, but deep laceration on her left cheek. Seeing that particular wound reminded me of the scar that I had on my right cheek bone. The skin around the scar tissue now itched slightly form the sudden attention, but I shrugged the sensation off. The cloth that had been around my midriff was all but gone on my right side, thanks to a close call with a Hollow. The skin that had been covered by the absent cloth sported three enormous parallel slash marks. They hurt every time I moved too much, and sometimes if I took too deep of a breath. If it weren't for my being a Soul Reaper, I had no doubt that I would have blacked out a long time ago from blood loss. I looked down at my left hand, the one that was still clutching the sword that had more or less saved my life. I had been gripping it so hard that I was bleeding, my knuckles white from the exertion. My bare feet, like Rukia's, was exactly as they were like when I had lived in Hanging Dog. Battered, sore, and hurting, only still usable from my being used to it for a long time.

Takeshi's blade cleaved through the arm of Agramon, the Vasto Lorde having been temporarily distracted by something long enough for Takeshi to break his defense. The limb, his left arm, fell to the ground from where the pair fought twenty feet in the the air. I looked around, trying to find what the Vasto Lorde was searching for, but stopped when memories of the Cero blast not even five minutes ago flashed before me.

Near death experiences are best taken in shifts, anyway.

* * *

Daiki looked around the training grounds of the Fifth Squad barracks. The squad members were training hard, currently working on a capture-the-flag exercise in which they were only allowed to use Kido. The goal being to develop coordination with team members while using Kido. Since Kido was an offensive and defensive capability, and it only required the practitioner's concentration and hand signs, it was an invaluable skill to have. Daiki had told the members that the winners of the capture-the-flag game would get to have a short rest and a meal that Daiki himself would pay. He said that the losing team would have to take a test before they could join the victorious team. This seemed to motivate the men, whom generally enjoyed resting and free food then training for the entire day. The woman were the same way, but didn't seem as excited. Since Daiki knew Misami so well, he could make a good guess as to why that was, though he doubted any of those before him had as much skill and raw ability as the white haired, duel-wielding Third Seat of Squad Five.

"Red Team! Point!" Daiki called out, while the other team, the Blue Team, watched slack-jawed.

While the flag was returned to the opposing team's base on the other side of the training grounds, Daiki gave the members a five minute break. The score was eight to two, in favor of the Blue Team. The Red Team was making a comeback however. The victor was to be decided by the first to reach the score of fifteen. Daiki watched, calling, "Begin!" as another round of the exercise began. Stronger team members fired Hado at the advancing opposing teams, while others deployed Bakudo to either block the incoming Hado, or to bind those advancing. When they would get close enough, lower level Hado and Bakudo were used to bind or incapacitate an opponent. The weaker members were assigned Bakudo duty by their team leaders, and the others with medium ability were given the responsibility of capturing the flag. This teamwork was not as good as it could be, with Daiki noting that some high level squad mates charging in without support and getting taken out by a Hado or Bakudo soon thereafter. Recklessness had no place in the hearts of Daiki's squad, and was only useful as a last resort if at all. Daiki only made that exception because of hid Captain, since the orange haired hybrid was known to make rash decisions from time to time.

The games continued without a hitch, the Red team actually tying it at fourteen with the Blue team and then winning. Daiki made good on his promise to the victor, sending a Hell butterfly to a restaurant that had agreed to cater to his men. They were supplied rations by the Court Guard squads, but the restaurant in question made much better food. And there was the added bonus that Daiki hadn't really had anything to spend his salary on and had plenty of coin to tend to his men. The restaurant was happy to serve, and happy at the overzealous tip Daiki had given them as thanks for their service.

Daiki had the victorious Red Team sit on a set of bleachers that were near, and called the crestfallen Blue team over for a debrief of the games. He watched as the Red Team, thankfully, did not gloat in their comeback, though they didn't seem to have much energy left to do anything but trudge over to their designated place. The Blue Team sat down before Daiki and seemed to loath the idea of more training on top of a defeat that could've easily been a victory.

"So," Daiki said, "What do you think went wrong?"

The team was silent, looking at each other with confused expressions. Daiki guessed that they thought they were in for a scolding. It would definitely fit his reputation as the silent, strong type. A dark haired Soul Reaper raised his hand.

When Daiki nodded his permission, he spoke, "We didn't show enough teamwork?"

Daiki shook his head after a beat, "No, both teams had excellent teamwork from what I could see. Anyone else?"

"Our Kido wasn't good?" Another squad member offered.

Daiki gave a shrug, "One can always improve on their Kido at your level. But the thing that made you lose to the other team was your morale."

"Morale?" A female squad member asked.

"You let their comeback get into your head, and you stopped focusing on what you were supposed to be accomplishing," Daiki said, pulling back his hood, "I saw that you let it get to you, and it made your team weaker as a result."

The team practically stopped breathing when they saw the menacing glare Daiki had as his defualt facial expression, even when it was just the eyes that they could see. Daiki heard the sound of a messenger appear behind him. Daiki motioned for the team to join the others, sensing the caterers were almost here with the meals. Daiki turned, facing the messenger. The Soul Reaper, distinguishable by the strange roof-top-like hat, flinched when he saw the scary look in Daiki's cobalt eyes.

When he regained his composure, he cleared his throat, "I have a message for Fourth Seat Daiki from the Head Captain."

"The Head Captain?" Daiki raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"We had received word that Captain Ichigo Kurosaki, and Arrancar Takeshi Yagami, have entered the world of Hueco Muendo to rescue Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and Third Seat Misami Kuchiki," The messenger reported, "The Head Captain requests that you find a substitute to lead in your stead, and aid the Captain of your Squad in the rescue effort."

"Who though?" Daiki asked, "Does the Head Captain have anyone in mind?"

The messenger blinked, "He did suggest enlisting the help of a Lieutenant from another Squad. Possibly either Hinamori or Kira, since both have had to run their respective Squads in the past during the Aizen Incident."

And with that, the messenger vanished in a Flash Step.

* * *

I watched the two of them fight with a passion. I had dodged three Cero misfires in the past four minutes. I drop of sweat formed at my temple from my nervousness. I looked over at Rukia, who had Nel sitting in her lap and napping. I had sheathed my blade, rubbing the raw skin that had been formed thanks to the terror I had to endure over the past few hours alone. The darkness of the cavern was hiding something, I just couldn't sense it. I could only have a gut feeling about the fact. I felt a sort of foreboding feeling about the whole ordeal. Agramon had to have an alternative motive for drawing out the fight, leading Takeshi on but tempting him out of rationality by quenching his want for a good fight. This manipulation of my Arrancar friend made me feel sick, and made me want to figure out what was going on sooner.

"You aren't half bad," Takeshi noted as he slashed away at the Vasto Lorde.

Agramon growled, "Shut up, impostor!"

The Arrancar the insult was aimed at only grinned, finding the concept that Agramon would get so...aggravated over the subject rather amusing. He surged forwards, sword still having blood from cutting away an arm from his opponent. The Vasto Lorde had already regenerated his absent limb, and smaller Hollows had begun to act as vultures and swarmed the free meal. I cringed as Agramon caught Takeshi's blade with both of his hands. The steel of the Zanpakuto biting deep into his palms, or what resembled them, Agramon lifted the sword up, away from where it had been. The sword had aimed at the Vasto Lorde's skull, and had been stopped just before it graced the surface of the bone mask of the high level Hollow. Takeshi, lacking enough strength to press thanks to the seals and his not training for five centuries in prison.

Takeshi disengaged from the deadlock, instead whipping around three hundred and sixty degrees to slash low at the lanky assassin Hollow's unprotected side. With surprising speed, Agramon dodged the counter strike. The Vasto Lorde appeared from behind and slashed with his claws for Takeshi's back, but was stopped by the Arrancar's blade, which he had used to block the strike without turning around.

Blinking at the surprising amount of skill that Takeshi displayed with that one move, Agramon brought his other claws to bare on Takeshi's legs. The attack struck home, drawing a well of blood as it cleaved through Takeshi's hamstrings. Falling to one knee, if temporarily, wasn't in Takeshi's best interest against an opponents built on his speed. Instead of that, the Arrancar grabbed the wrist of the offending claw as it finished cutting his flesh and yanked. Taken by surprise, the pair tumbled out of the air and into the ground.

"That wasn't too bad either, Agramon," Takeshi said, "Though, if I can get you like I just did with all these stupid seals on my body, then you still have a way to go before you can actually challenge me."

"You are despicable, impostor," Agramon groaned, "All you do is lie and pretend. My master wouldn't fight for the Soul Reapers. He hated them without restraint and made it his goal to have them all obliterated!"

Takeshi laughed, "I don't remember hating the Soul Reapers. Sure, they got on my nerves for killing my friends and all, but all I wanted was a good fight every once in a while. Sad to say that I had to leave my own kind and spend half a millennia in prison to get access to those fights. But, hey! I'm getting a bonus fight with my old lap dogs!"

Agramon yelled, "How dare you!"

Takeshi laughed, "Man, once you stop trying to be all silent and what not, you can't shut up. There's this Soul Reaper guy that would scare the crap out of you if he were here! And all he would have to do is take off his hood!"

Agramon muttered something rather in audible as a response, but Takeshi grinned as if he could hear him.

Takeshi aimed his hand, his index and middle fingers extended, at his supposed former pupil, "Cero."

A blood red ball of energy that reeked of Hollow fired the awe inspiring sound that belonged to the attack slicing through the air. Agramon fired his own, meeting Takeshi's beam half-way. The result was a massive explosion that kicked up just about every grain of sand and dust into the air. Visibility now down to nearly nothing, I crawled over to Rukia and Nel five feet to my right. I looked around, trying to find a break in the fog created by the explosion. There was a subtle change in air pressure right before something struck me in the side.

I screamed in pain. Rukia exclaimed in surprise and clutched Nel close to her chest. Razor sharp talons gripped my side, the one that had been slashed in my previous fight. I was paralyzed in pain and in fear. Utter helplessness overtook me, as my throat was void of any words to say other than to scream. To scream as loud as I could for Takeshi to hear, so that he could somehow save me and Rukia. Nel awoke, a blank look on her face as she tried to discern what was going on. The talon dug deeper, breaking the skin and healing scar tissue on my wounds. My side tore out, the flesh too weak to maintain its form. I cried out, the pain making it hard to breath.

I lost consciousness for a good minute as I blacked out from the sudden infliction of so many terrifying things. I could hear Nel and Rukia call my name, a distant, ghostly sensation on my shoulders. The world was moving in slow motion, the edges of my vision blurry as I felt pressure and an unpleasant feeling in my side. I was numb, almost to the point of not caring. I couldn't hear, see, or know what was going on. I could only guess as I blinked away uncontrolled tears, that the two Vasto Lorde had been waiting in the shadows for a large enough distraction to reveal an opportunity to snatch us from under Takeshi's nose. I cursed the stupid blood lust that the Arrancar had, blaming it for the torture the Vasto Lorde were seemingly unaware of inflicting. I held out the smallest hope that Ichigo would be able to make it to save Rukia and I from this.

I heard Takeshi try and follow, his shouting something that I couldn't understand. I blinked, the haze of sleep threatening to drag me out of this world. The haze lifted just in time for me to see the Arrancar sent flying away from his rescue attempt with a left hook from Agramon. I took advantage of my momentary instance of clarity, noting that it was the body builder Vasto Lorde that had me in his grasp, his claws a millimeter away from sinking into my wounds that had already started to bleed again thanks to the pressure he was putting on them. Thankfully, the pain was numbed from over exertion, as I looked around. They were taking us out of the cavern and into a hidden part of the palace. Instantly, another flashback of the experiments Aizen performed on me told me that that part of the palace was as secure as any part, and it was under the dome that had the fake sky. The flashback seemed to upset the small amount of equilibrium I had gained, and I felt myself become nauseous, and my vision blurred again. My breath came in short, choppy breaths as the pain regained its bite. I was fading fast, and the tightening of the Vasto Lorde's grip on my nearly fatal wound only furthered the process that ended with my losing consciousness.

"Misami!" Rukia's voice was the last thing I could make out with any certainty before I finally fell into a black nothingness.

Man, I was so sick of blacking out in Hueco Muendo.

* * *

Ichigo looked around the palace of Las Noches. He grumbled about not being able to sense anything other that Rukia's, and Misami's, spiritual pressures. His Hollow laughed, making the comment of it being Ichigo's fault for being so stupid. At that he simply shut out the Hollow and continued to search with just his senses. The air around him was septic with the stench of Hollow. He could feel traces of Soul Reaper, but he doubted that they were Rukia's or Misami's. He had his blade, released into its Shikai form for his Zanpakuto's comfort and he had run into some large groups of Adjuches that he had had to use more power. Worry for his wife and little sister-in-law fueled his body to move on and search when he felt tired. He looked through the halls, remembering the last time he had been here, he had had a similar purpose. Granted, Orihime had willingly gone into the palace in order to save Ichigo's life, and Rukia and Misami had been taken. But that fact still remained that he was, again, searching for those he cared about in the palace of Las Noches so that he could save them from the hands of powerful enemies.

Thankfully, those enemies didn't have control of the entire universe on their agenda. According to Takeshi, before he left, all that they had wanted was to fight. With something so easily taken care of by fighting the Court Guard Squads, they wouldn't be satisfied with guerrilla attacks. Ichigo had chuckled when Takeshi suggested it, but it was easy to see that the three Vasto Lorde pupils of his will most likely start gearing up for an invasion of the Soul Society with as many Hollows as possible. Ichigo didn't like the idea of an advancing army of Hollows spear headed by three Vasto Lorde class that had been personally trained by someone like the Arrancar version of Kenpachi.

"Man, where are they?" Ichigo muttered aloud as he continued to look through the palace.

"Where are who?" A voice suddenly spoke in front of him.

Not expecting a response, Ichigo lowered into a fighting stance, his gigantic sword out and ready to cut. He looked around, finding Hollows crawling out of every crevasse big enough, or making their own doors through the walls. Lower class, Adjuches, and one Vasto Lorde stood before him like a wall of fallen souls. With the Vasto Lode as the leader, Ichigo knew that he had been the one to speak. The grip on his blade tightened, the knowledge that he would most likely be fighting most, if not all, of the Hollows before him running through his mind. He would have to either use a Getsuga, a Hado, or his blade soon, or the Hollows before him would cascade on him like a tidal wave of death, complete with claws, masks, and other weaponized limbs.

"Calm down, Soul Reaper Captain," The Vasto Lorde said, "I won't attack you as long as you remain still and listen."

"Listen to what?" Ichigo said, his trademark scowl hardening.

"I have your Lieutenant and the white haired demon," the Vasto Lorde said, and Ichigo blinked at the strange way of addressing Misami, "And they are our prisoners for the time being. If you continue to pursue the, I will have no choice but to kill them. I know that I will not be able to defeat you in combat without more preparation, so I will not be fighting you. However, knowing your notoriety of being protective of your own, I'm certain that their deaths will prove to be far more useful than that of your own. I'm going to ask you to leave this place, as well as the impersonator of my master, so that we can continue our work in the meantime. I can assure you that they will not be killed, but their safety is in jeopardy with you here."

Ichigo was silent. His teeth were clenched, as were his fists. His sword was shaking, his eyes in shadows cast by his bangs. He was seething, rage filling his being at the very thought of leaving his loved ones to the hands of this..._thing_. He slowly, almost methodically, swung his sword around to where he had the tip of the Shikai blade pointed at the throat of the Vasto Lorde that would _dare _think if keeping his wife and sister-in-law from him. His power flared around him, engulfing his body. Pale blue, fire-like spiritual pressure blazed around him, the same color that his eyes were glowing.

He started to laugh. As the cloth of his sword started to wrap around his right arm, and as his left arm grabbed the right to stabilize it, he had started to chuckle. Starting out as a scoff, then to a low rumble, and finally it bloomed to fully fledged laughter. He could sense that the Vasto Lorde was both surprised and put off by this sudden occurrence that he had not expected. He could tell that he was preparing to run, to throw his Hollows at Ichigo like meat shields so that he could escape with Rukia and Misami. He wasn't about to let that happen.

"You think that I would abandon them, let you threaten their lives, just so you could hold them here and do whatever you want with them, just because you _asked _me to?" Ichigo said, his laughter dying and becoming as menacing as his Fourth Seat's glare.

Then he said one word that overpowered whatever response that the Vasto Lorde could form. One word that he roared into the air, filled with all the anger he could muster.

"_BANKAI!_" Ichigo said as he was engulfed in black, red trimmed flames of spiritual pressure.

* * *

Daiki entered the palace of Las Noches unnoticed by anyone. The shadows of the Hollow world were as complete and impenetrable as any he had ever seen. Just like in his fight with Takeshi, Daiki knew that the shadow manipulating ability of his Zanpakuto was at a serious advantage as long as these pure shadows were within reach. His ability to form throwing knives out of the shadows, along with his abilities with those knives, would surely be of use. His orders were to bring back his squad mates, as well as Takeshi, and have them report directly to the Head Captain upon his return and the subsequent escorting of those he rescued to the Fourth Squad. He planned on staying hidden throughout the mission, hopefully finding and saving his Lieutenant and Third Seat without the three Vasto Lorde he sensed noticing. There were thousands of Hollows crawling through the halls of Las Noches, most on guard duty while the rest were clustered together and lying in wait. He moved through the shadows effortlessly, like they were a second home.

He suppressed his spiritual pressure, pulling out his Zanpakuto and releasing it into its Shikai state. The blade of the sword dissipated into shadows, vanishing from sight. Daiki slipped the hilt, blade end facing out, into the wrappings at the waist of his modified Shihakusho. He made sure that his spiritual pressure was masked, and then continued on into the bowels of the palace.

_You're sure that you can pull this of, Master? _His Zanpakuto asked in a ghostly, raspy voice.

_We've been training non-stop on improving my skills. Maybe not for this exact purpose, but its close enough, _Daiki responded, stopping as a Hollow patrol crossed his path.

_You'd be a lot better at it if you had taken Soi Fon up on her offer for the Second Squad, _his sword said.

_You know my reasons for being in Squad Five, _Daiki growled back.

_Isn't just a case of the smaller head controlling the larger one, eh, Master? _

Daiki almost verbally shouted, angry, _You know that Misami has nothing to do with it!_

_She does now._

_Because she's a close friend of mine, so what? _

The sword chuckled, _Yeah, I get it. You're worried that she'll find out about your little secret when she does a back ground check upon promotion like she tends to do._

_Exactly._

_What if you found out that she wouldn't mind? _The blade asked, as Daiki continued on after the Hollows finally passed him.

_I...I don't know, _Daiki thought back.

He continued on, shaking off the conversation and focusing on the task he had before him. He slipped through the palace doorways only after making sure that there was not presences in the rooms with both his eyes and his spiritual pressure sensing. When he was using his Shikai, Daiki's senses were given a boost when there were plenty of shadows. It wasn't an enormous advancement, but we was able to stay hidden because of it. The modified Shihakusho, as well as the hood and scarf covering his features, were life savers when he wanted his body to stay hidden in the darkness. He had had almost had to kill a smaller Hollow when it go close, but restraint had proven useful. Had he killed that Hollow, a group a five or six that were just turning the corner at that time would have seen him and then the mission was hopelessly more difficult.

The walls of the palace were getting less and less cracked. The ceiling no longer looked as if it were going to cave in whenever it felt like it. Daiki mentally cursed, knowing that there wasn't going to be as many hiding spots besides the pillars on the sides of the halls or the side rooms that were currently being unused. Daiki tried to find a way to sense Rukia and Misami, but it was like they had almost no spiritual pressure at all, with the little that remain being spread over a wide area. That area was moving, if a little slowly, towards the dome area of the palace that Daiki had noticed on his way in. In that area he felt two familiar presences, one being the body builder Hollow that he had watched Misami defeat five hundred years ago, and the other being an Arrancar that had known for a little while at the insistence of Misami. Nel, as long as she wasn't drooling over his clothes, for some reason made Daiki laugh when he saw how childish the Arrancar was despite being such a powerful warrior capable of easily defeating the fifth most powerful Espada. He had actually been there when she had figured out how to change into her adult form at will and stay in it for as long as she could. This turned out, after some practice, to be indefinite.

Daiki deduced, feeling that Nel was still in her child form, that the body builder Vasto Lorde was taking the two high ranking members of Squad Five to a new part of the palace. Remembering that there were still parts of the palace unknown to the Soul Reaper Squads, Daiki raced for the presence of the body used his exceptional Flash Step, while suppressing his spiritual pressure as much as possible, to get there as fast as he could. Hoping to shadow the Vasto Lorde without his knowledge.

He felt a massive surge of spiritual pressure, the one causing it having an unmistakable mixture of Soul Reaper and Hollow powers. Captain Kurosaki had just activated his Bankai according to the sheer amount of power coming from just one source. He had sensed his Captain's spiritual pressure, high enough that he was probably in Shikai state, far from him with a massive amount of Hollow presence in front of him. Takeshi, obviously with at least one of his seals realized, was fighting another Vasto Lorde, one that Daiki had also met before. With that in mind, Daiki knew that the Vasto Lorde that Ichigo was about to fight against was the remaining of the three that Takeshi had spoken on when confronted with the news of the two attacking Misami. He moved through the air above the Hollows out on patrol, thankful for the high ceilings that allowed him to go swiftly through the palace without detection.

They were planning to do something that Daiki hoped didn't involve any harm coming to either Rukia or Misami. But he couldn't allow such stupid emotions to get into his head and cloud his judgement. He needed to stay hidden and ready to fight, and that wasn't possible with negative thoughts of what they could be doing to the two treasured sisters of Byakuya Kuchiki. In the end, his desire to shut out those thoughts made Daiki go even faster then he thought that he could without tiring. Air whipped by him, threatening to take his hood off to reveal his features. The fight between Takeshi and the assassin Vasto Lorde seemed to have had begun a long time ago. The two opponents seeming to hold back immensely in order to either buy time or drag out the fight for their enjoyment. Maybe it was both.

Daiki drew close to the presence of his target, sensing that there were two spiritual pressures nearby by, though he could discern their location. One of the two was considerably more weaker than the other, likely that it was due to its owner being unconcious. The other, very much awake and letting loose a frantic collection of worry and pained twinges to its overall make up, was almost as suppressed as its counter part. They were both unmistakably belonging to his two superiors. They seemed restrained somehow, very much like Takeshi's spiritual pressure when compared to before and after the seals were placed on his body. To make two Soul Reapers, as powerful as Rukia and Misami Kuchiki, have their powers siphoned away like those seals were doing was unheard of. The devices that would have had been made to make that possible could have only been made by the head of the Twelfth Squad or of someone with equal or higher intellect. Instantly, Kisuke Urahara and Sosuke Aizen came to mind of course, and then Daiki immediately excluded the former Twelfth Squad Captain on the grounds that he had never been to the palace Daiki was currently sneaking through. It didn't make sense to Daiki, however, of the purpose those seals would serve, seeing as they felt as though they were specialized for one Soul Reaper prisoners, and as well as Wholes.

Daiki finally reached the presence of the Vasto Lorde, and purposely over shot the high class Hollow so that he could hide ahead of the enemy at watch as they passed. Daiki planned on observation, hoping that the sight of Misami and Rukia didn't jog his more humane side and force him into action. He needed to get more out of the enemy then just the prisoners that they were taking, and he knew that they would feel far more confident in conferring with one another with the knowledge that they still had two highly important Soul Reaper officers in their grasp.

"Misami!" Rukia was yelling, much to the Vasto Lorde's annoyance.

The Soul Reaper in question was dangling from the clutches of the Vasto Lorde's right hand, a streak of her white, knotted haired dyed red in her own blood. A wound that looked incredibly painful, three parallel gash marks peeking through the splayed fingers of the Vasto Lorde that was holding her. Blood was soaking through the tattered Shihakusho she was wearing, and dripped rhythmically with each foot fall of the Vasto Lorde. Rukia pounded at the clawed hand that held her by her thin midsection in a vain attempt to get loose. Nel looked around, looking nervous to say the least, but not worried. Daiki could only hope that the child Arrancar wouldn't return to her adult form too soon and cause the Vasto Lorde to fight. Daiki slowed his breathing as the Vasto Lorde passed him. He stepped out into the middle of the hall as soon as the Hollow had passed and wouldn't be able to see him.

He tried to get the attention of the two conscious friends of his, waving his arms as quietly as he could. He didn't want to get their attention in a flashy manner, since it would attract the Vasto Lorde's questioning gaze.

Finally, just before the Vasto Lorde rounded a corner, Rukia's eyes flicked up at his directed.

* * *

Takeshi growled, slicing through Agramon's arm for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. He could tell that his old pupil had been holding back the majority of his power for the entire fight to stall him. Now he knew why he had been doing so, and he was infuriated. It was true that had been caught up in the idea that he could have an interesting, almost lopsided fight with his former student now that he had grown stronger and he himself was severely restrained. That fought faded the instant he heard Misami's sudden cry of pain and the sense that she was being taken away along with her sister-in-law. Thankfully, though it was a rather cruel thing to think despite the fact that he didn't care, Nel had been taken with the two Kuchiki girls. Now he faced a challenge that he didn't care to tackle at that moment, since he had the more pressing issue of saving Misami from whatever his three former pupils had in store for them. If he knew anything, it was that the three of them were about as bad as Vasto Lorde could be, due to their upbringing having been taken care of by someone like Takeshi. Back when he had taken them under his wing, Takeshi was only interested in fighting, fighting, and more fighting. He didn't care how he treated those around him, as long as he got enjoyment out of his efforts and theirs. The result of that was that the three of them had become Vasto Lorde and had no compassion whatsoever.

He punched the assassin Vasto Lorde square in the chest, right below where he had his Hollow hole. He coughed blood up, flying through the air and slamming into a pillar. Vanishing in a burst of Sonido, Takeshi ran his blade through the Vasto Lorde, pinning the Hollow to the ground as the sword sunk into the ground through his back. From there, Takeshi proceeded to fire Bala after Bala into Agramon's arms, chest, and legs. The explosions caused dust, and Agramon tied to move out of the way. He would have easily dodged the strikes, had he not had the Zanpakuto pinning him to the ground like some sort of bug specimen.

"Get up, Agramon," Takeshi said, panting slightly.

"There's a sword in my-Argh!" Agramon exclaimed as Takeshi ripped his sword out of the Vasto Lorde's chest.

"It's time to end this, you foolish wannabes," The crazy looking in his eyes returning with a vengeance.

Takeshi pressed the tip of his sword into the palm of his let hand. As Agramon watched, irritation and confusion coloring his spiritual pressure, Takeshi held his sword before him and rocketed his left hand to the top of the hilt. Instead of skewering his hand on the blade, the steel of the Zanpakuto shattered into millions of tiny fragments. Those fragments started to glow a bright crimson as they suddenly were suspended in the space around the angered Arrancar. With the halo of glowing pieces of his sword surrounding him, casting harsh shadows that only furthered the look of maddening anger he had on his face as he yelled the release command of his Zanpakuto and he himself became enveloped by the same bright crimson spiritual pressure.

"_Destroy all in my path, Decimador__!" _(Translation: "Decimator")


	16. The Relapse of Horrors Long Forgotten

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'd like to say that I had a blast writing this chapter and that I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Also, I'd like to announce that I'm looking for one of you guys that have some artistic talent with Photoshop. I'd like to ask if any of you can make a fanart of Misami so that I can use it for the cover art of this story. If you guys pull through, I'll let you submit an OC into the story as a reward, or something like that. Please and thank you!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! If your referring to Takeshi's release command, then nope! Since Takeshi is an Arrancar, the release of his sword is his Ressurecion. And thanks for your continued support in your reviews! I eagerly await the next one!**

**Thank you, ulsha, for reviewing! I was slightly confused as to where were coming from when I read your review, since I hadn't had any complaints prior to it and I had had a friend that was as into Bleach as I was look over it to make sure that I hadn't messed anything up, but I apologize for any confusion that I had caused! The reason for the things that happened in the first chapter were to just give a quick reason why Ichigo would be at the Soul Reaper Academy, nothing more nothing less. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the story!**

**Thank you, Guest, for reviewing! I'm sorry, but if your OC is the Squad Three Captain, then there isn't a way that I can help you out, man! In chapter 13, I had the vacancies of the Squad Three and Nine Captains filled with the Vizards that had used to lead them. Sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, just the story, the plot, and my many OCs. **

I woke up on something cold, hard, and unforgiving. There were stains on the ground, but i couldn't tell if they were from blood or water due to my blurry vision. There was pain all throughout my body, spreading from the most painful area in my side. There was a sticky, wet substance that was puddling around me. It was slightly warm, through the ground was stealing the heat by the minute. My head ached, my throat felt raw, and my limbs felt numb. I barely had the energy to open my eyes, so moving was out of the question. My memories were hazy, I barely could snatch the memory of my name. I groaned at a pang of familiarity, since I had gone through this before for far too many times. I was reduced to this state so many times it was almost as if I was going back in time to when that..._monster _was experimenting on me.

Then I lost consciousness again, falling into a welcome escape from the anguish.

* * *

_Long ago, the time unknown..._

Aizen, that's what I knew him as, since that's what his minions called him To him, I was Subject 23, a soul that he had been experimenting on since my inception.

When I was saved from the monsters by Aizen, I childishly thought that he was going to take me to a place far away and safe. I was right about one, and completely wrong of the other. He snatched my small body from the ground, the monsters he had just sliced in half vanishing into thin air like boiling dust clouds, and we went through a strange doorway. It looked like Aizen had ripped up the air in front of us like I saw a man rip up a woman's dress before I died. When we walked through that hole he had made we arrived in a scary place that was definitely far away, and felt as if danger lurked around every corner. Aizen then took me to a really big palace and threw me in a cage that looked a lot like what I saw a puppy put in.

I waited for days, my body no bigger then a two year old's. Monsters, ones that looked just like the ones that Aizen had saved me from, with scary white masks and holes in their chests, brought me food that barely did more then keep me alive. There were two others just like Aizen. One was called Gin, who acted like, a snake, and he had the look of a snake too. The other was Kaname, who had dark skin and had strange looking glasses that covered his useless eyes. The three of them were different from the monsters that they seemed to control, because they looked human. The monsters had all different shapes and sizes, but almost none had more then two or three humanoid body parts. The three also all had swords.

Aizen wore thick rimmed glasses, and had messy looking brown hair. He didn't seem to wear his glasses all that much, as if he didn't need them, and he sometimes would wear his shaggy hair up so that it wouldn't get in his way. Gin had silver hair, and a scary looking grin that made me want to stay away from him as much as I could. He almost never opened his eyes, but when he did, I would be mesmerized by how sky blue they were. Kaname had dark skin, and he had a strange looking orange scarf and dreadlocks. All of them wore the same black kimono-like uniform with white under-clothes, and white socks with sandals. One thing I noticed was that there never really were that many times when all three of them would be there to see me at the same time.

One day, after maybe seven of being kept in the dog cage, Gin opened the door and reached in to grab me. I was scared and started to scream, trying hard to bat away Gin's hands. He didn't really have to try all that much to snatch a fist full of my white kimono and rip me out of the crate. He slapped me hard on the cheek, my head whipping away and making my neck hurt. He took me to a strange room that smelled like a hospital, where Aizen was waiting with the same fake kind look in his eyes. He always looked at me like that, trying to make me think that this was all just a really bad nightmare, and that I'd wake up as long as I did what he said. Somehow I knew that that was a lie, and the look made me feel sick and scared. Gin slammed me onto a bed, and started to strap restraints on my wrists and my ankles. He was really smooth with his movements, the restraints finished before I even had a hope of resisting.

"Welcome, child," Aizan said, holing up a syringe full of a strange glowing purple liquid, "You're going to be very important to me and my friends, you know that?"

Gin walked over to Aizen and took the syringe from his hand quietly, while Aizen went over to a table that had a collection of scary looking hospital instruments.

"What's the first step, Lord Aizen?" Gin asked, the tip of the syringe chilling the skin just above the vein in my arm.

"After you inject that, which will create an opening for the integration process," Aizen said, lifting a test tube-like container and a scalpel, "After that opening is created, I will have ten minutes to place this Hollow essence inside her body."

"What happens after that?" Gin asked as I squirmed with displeasure at the feeling of the needle breaking the skin.

"The essence will do what I programmed it to do," Aizen said, "It will seek out the center of her being and combine with it. Once that is done, we can test her to see how complete the essence formed with her soul. Depending on how her body reacts to the Hollow essence, I could finally find out an alternative way to break down the barrier between Hollows and Soul Reapers if my research to create a working Hogyoku fails."

The glowing contents of the syringe vanished into my body as Gin pushed down the plunger. Suddenly, pain exploded in my body from the instant that the last of the liquid was in my blood stream. It hurt like nothing else that I had ever felt before. Some how, it felt like that there was something that was...wrong with me. Like a part of my soul was just not supposed to be the way that it was. As I could feel the liquid get closer and closer to my heart, I squirmed more and more as the pain exponentially increased. I cried. I screamed. I felt the edges of my vision get more and more blurred as the liquid entered my heart. It went to work in my very soul. If my soul were to have a steel door to keep itself safe from infection, the liquid felt as if it was melt a hole in that door. That process alone was painful.

Almost as if he could track it, Aizen chose the moments just after the liquid had broken down the "door" of my soul. I felt the razor sharp edge of the scalpel that he had, and felt the white hot pain rip through my stomach as he cut straight through both my midsection and my kimono with a very precise cut. As another rush of pain came with it, I felt the sensation of Aizen opening the wound he had created further. Then there was the feeling of cold glass touching the edge of the cut. My eyes having been shut the entire time, I found the will to open them at least enough to see what was going on. What I saw was a very small, almost worm-like monster in the tube. I screamed, from both pain and fear as Aizen tipped the tube up and the monster fell into the cut Aizen made.

I screamed over and over until my throat was raw as the monster wormed its way through my insides and my chest until it reached my soul. When it did, all the agony I had just went through with the liquid, and with the cutting was all eclipsed three times over with the pain of the monster slipping into my soul through the vulnerable spot that the liquid had made. I could feel its body dissolve into a liquid-like substance as it started to combine with my very soul. I felt even more tainted as a part of my soul was turned into something scary, something inhuman and dark in nature that didn't belong anywhere near me. I screamed one last time, as the final parts of the monster finished melding with my soul.

Then the world finally, finally went black.

_Some time later..._

I was running. Always running. Running from Hollows, the monsters. The kind of monsters that were _inside _me. I was no better then them, my soul at least partially like theirs. Aizen took me out of my cell, and threw me into this massive cavern and released a swarm of them to attack me. I was supposed to live through this. There were other souls, at varying ages, that were in the cavern with me. They all had Hollow masks, or at least parts of them, on their faces. The difference, besides appearance, between them and me was I was still alive and running. They had all been consumed my the Hollows, the monsters that had also been forced into them. I was the only one that was left, panting as I found a hidden spot from the sight of the Hollows. There was so much fear in the air, and in my mind. That I was acting purely on instinct.

It had been almost three years since the horrible day that they tainted me with that stupid Hollow essence. I always would get angry that they hadn't just put a Hollow inside me, instead of make me part Hollow. Because of that it wasn't inside of me, it _was _me. Every day after that horrible operation, Aizen would experiment on me. There was always blood, he would strap me down to the same table were I lost part of my soul and he would cut me open to inspect how the integration had progressed. When he was finished, then he would send me off to a cell that was different from mine and sit me down on a chair. Then a Hollow with whip-like tentacles and sharp claws would come in a torture me. For hours it would drag on, and all I could do was cry and scream in pain. After that was over with, the torturing Hollow would leave me with five minutes. Then, through some remote settings that Aizen must have put into the Hollow part of me soul, the regenerative properties of the Hollow would heal my new wounds just enough for me to move and nothing more. Once that threshold was reached, Aizen would shut of the regeneration and another Hollow would take me to a room that had a massive maze in it. I was their lab rat, Aizen's lab rat. I never even tried to figure out why I needed to finish a maze. But if I made a wrong turn or took too long, there would be Hollows that I would have to face or run away from. Also, if a certain time requirement wasn't met, I would be tortured, starved, and sleep-deprived for punishment. He never let me know what that time requirement was, so I would be forced to run without pause until I finished.

After another five minutes, if I made the time requirement, another Hollow would take me to where I currently was. The cavern, something I liked to call the Den of Hell. Here, all the currently breathing test subjects would be thrown into the cavern and either try to survive until Aizen retrieved us and threw us back into the cells that were decorated with our own blood stains or we would try and kill all the Hollows trying to kill us. For one reason or another, I was usually the only one that made it out alive. I always attributed it to luck, or my veteran knowledge of all the good hiding places, or those few scary times where I would black out and wake up to find the mutilated corpses of the Hollows that had been chasing me.

Whenever I did happen to black out, I found that the torturing, the experiments, and the mazes would all far far less harsh. With what little energy I had left, I knew that Aizen _wanted _for me to black out like that.

I peeked out of the shadows, hoping to see the Hollows at least distracted by the cannon fodder of the other test subjects. A pang of guilt at the inhuman thought, but I shoved it away in favor of thinking of a way out of this current life threatening situation. At the sight of another test subject falling prey to the Hollow's jaws, I ran to the next hiding spot in the hopes of my not staying in one place will ensure that I would survive long enough to make it to my cell again. The Hollows were devouring the last of the failed test subjects, the sound of flesh tearing and blood gushing mixing with the cries of the devoured as they lost their lives filled my pounding ears. I ducked into a shadowed area that was between a pillar and the wall of the cavern, the shadows dark enough to hide my body at least for a little while. I watched, holding my breath as the Hollows finished with their latest prey and started sniffing the air for their next. With no way to mask my scent, just hoped that the smell of the fresh kill they had just gorged themselves on would block their sense of smell long enough for the time to return to my cell had passed.

I looked around, hoping that there was _something _that I could use as a weapon if it came to my final moments. I didn't want to cower in fear and die alone in this Den of Hell at the hands of the filth that was a part of me. I had survived this ever since I could walk, quite literally, and I didn't want to just die now. That would be the ultimate kick in the stomach. I looked over to the Hollows, at least the ones that were close enough to see their faces. I saw the look in their eyes, and I was filled with hatred. The look in their eyes was one of superiority, of a predator that had it prey right where it wanted it. There was something of that look that made something inside me just...snap.

Then it was just like those times that I had blacked out before but there was one fundamental difference. I was able to see what I was doing. The Hollow essence inside of me, only about five percent of my soul, was now in control of my body. Normally, I would see red tint my vision, before it failed completely as this tainted part of me controlled my body. Now, I could feel the killing instinct that came from the essence of Hollow, the power that came from the monster part of me. There was no outward changes to my appearance that marked my transition, unless you counted my personality switch, but the sudden change in my spiritual pressure that was unmistakably Hollow. I watched, since I seemed to not control my own limbs, as I slowly and purposefully walked out of the shadows I had been hiding in.

Instantly, the Hollows noticed me then, but somehow I didn't care whether they did or not. I was far too busy with how angry I was with how the Hollow had been treating me like a cat with yarn. The look in their eyes filled me with rage, and it was all I could do not to take control back of my body and kill them. But the Hollow essence and I had the same goal of the annihilation of the Hollows that were now practically stampeding towards me.

I felt my body rip through space as I suddenly had executed a high speed move, and I appeared behind a Hollow that was leading the charge. In all, there was about ten Hollows that were in the cavern. One power induced punch to the back of the Hollow's skull and it collapsed to the ground. I turned and appeared behind a pair of Hollows that were my size, then knocked them both out with a kick that shattered their masks. Then the remaining Hollows converged on me. Two slashed at me with their claws, while another whipped his tail for my legs. In a blur, though, all those attacks were blocked and the offending limbs cut away with powered up karate chops.

I jumped up, and landed on the back of a Hollow just as its fist struck the space that I had occupied. As it swore in anger, roaring a horrible wailing sound, I stayed on its back as the remaining six Hollows all tried to hit me off. Dodging them all perfectly, the strikes the the Hollow that I was on, and it fell to the ground in submission. I jumped off and tore through the rest of the Hollows in a torrent of punches and kicks, making sure not to actually kill any of them. I knew that if Aizen found them all dead, he would end the experiment and send me back to my cell. That was what always happened almost right after I woke from this sort of thing. I had a different out come in mind.

Once I knew that I had incapacitated all of the Hollows, I used that same strange high speed technique from earlier to look for an exit that I had found but never had the courage to try. Taking advantage of my being conscious during when the Hollow essence inside me, I felt that I could make it out alive. When I found the exit, a hole in the walls of the cavern that was just big enough for me, I slowly made my way through. The hole in the cavern wall lead to a rough passageway that spilled out into a hallway. The shadows were as harsh here as they were everywhere in Las Noches. I was so used to the palace that I easily slipped through the halls without being noticed. I couldn't get the image of the look in the eyes of those Hollows out of my head, or how angry it made me, which was probably why I wasn't calming down or controlling my body anymore.

Thankfully, the Hollow essence controlling my body was in some way guide-able, and I found that I could aim its power towards escaping this horrible place. Then I heard something that I didn't ever want to hear again.

Aizen was speaking to Gin in an amused voice, "So Subject 23 escaped, huh? Interesting. I'd actually like to see how this turns out."

"What do you want me to do, Lord Aizen?" Gin asked, his creepy nature as present as ever.

"Release her, preferable to the Soul Society's lowest Rukkon Districts so that she won't make contact with any Soul Reapers. I can always enact the seal I implanted in her soul if she actually is successful. She won't remember this place or the Hollow inside her if that's the case, so I have nothing to lose other then the entertainment she brought., " Aizen said, stopping, "Open a Garganta at the end of that hallway for ten minutes and have four or five Hollows guard it."

"Yes, Lord Aizen," Gin said, and did as he was instructed.

The sound, strangely familiar of when Aizen had saved me, of the Garganta opening a tear in the space a the end of the hallway filled my ears. I didn't feel the Hollow essence think twice about it as my body raced towards the opening. The Hollows Aizen spoke of were suddenly on my tail as I raced for the Garganta. I felt the ground and the walls rushing past me as I went faster and faster towards the end of the hall. I swore I could hear the Hollows behind me breathing down my neck. My lungs felt as though the were about to burst, my heart about to leap out of my chest as I pushed even more towards the Garganta. I could hear the amused chuckle of Aizen, as well as Gin as they watched me run for my life and for my one and only chance at freedom.

I broke through the Garganta just as I felt one of the claws of the Hollows graze my back and slice into my dirty kimono.

I ran through the black void the Garganta and straight and true as I could, making sure that I was heading directly where I was supposed to. The Soul Society, from what I had overheard from Aizen's talks with Gin and Kaname, was just about the safest place for me to go. The darkness that surrounded my body was nearly absolute. The only thing to really alleviate the black was the pale, almost turquoise spiritual pressure that I had subconsciously been making a walkway with. I sensed that there were Hollows chasing me now, there stench proceeding their presence.

Suddenly, I felt as if I had forgotten something. As I broke through the Garganta into the Rukkon Districts I heard Aizen talk about, I felt a void in my soul like there was supposed to be something there that wasn't. I couldn't remember why I was standing in the middle of the Rukkon, the makeshift buildings and shops closed for the night, but all I could remember was to keep running. Then the monsters, the ones that I somehow knew were following me, appeared out of nowhere and started to chase me.

All there was was fear. Fear was clouding my mind, my memory, and and soul as I ran in a frantic panic for cover. I found just that in a cave in the side of the mountains that had been nearby. The monsters clawed their way though the mountain, but I just crawled further and further away from them as I went deeper into the cave. I couldn't remember anything. I had no name, nothing from my past except pain.

_Who am I? _Was all I could think, _What's going on? _

* * *

My eyes shot open, _My name is Misami Tsukino Kuchiki. I am the adopted sister of Byakuya and Rukia Kuchiki. I am a Soul Reaper, the Third Seat of Squad Five. _

I breathed a sigh of relief that it was just dream of a memory instead of reality. I could remember it all clearly now, save for a few spots that were harder to recall. The cell that I was in, by some twist of fate, was the cell that had been my home for three years. My childhood bedroom was a prison cell that had blood strains where I had been thrown in and collapsed on. Carved into the wall were the words, "_Help me!_". The sight of a puddle of my own blood around me and somehow forced the memories to come rushing back. I looked down, to the hopelessly tattered part of my Shihakusho that was torn away by the claws of a Hollow. The bleeding had stopped, but not before having soaked my Shihakusho, tekko, and scarf in blood. I looked like I had just been murdered. My hair was matted with my own blood, the air smelling like death. All there really was was pain. The seals on my wrists, also happening to have been soaked in my blood, were still there and still keeping nearly every aspect of my body and soul to a minimum.

I remembered these seals, and How Aizen had used me to test them out. They had a dial that controlled how powerful they were. From what I could tell, the dial had been turned all the way up. I sighed, rubbing my wrists as I looked around my old cell. Nel, Rukia and Takeshi were nowhere to be found, the space in the cell was as depressing as ever. The bed, if you could call it that, was simply a raised area that was just bid enough to place a body on. On it, there was the deepest of the stains from my blood, since my captors and tortures left me with enough time to at least crawl from where they threw me to the "bed". The sad thing was that I felt far safer now then I ever had since I got here. I attributed it to the fact that, out of all the places I had been in during my horrible experience all that time ago, this cell was the only place where I wasn't harmed. I heard the footsteps of Hollows passing by my door, and I instinctively shied away from the door to my cell. Force of habit sadly.

"Misami?" I heard an awfully familiar voice, "Are you alright?"

"I swear," I said, turning, "If that's a Hollow screwing with me I'll blast through that door and rip out your throat."

"Woah," I heard the voice again, "What's wrong Misami? What did they do to you?"

"Prove that you're who I think you are, say something that only Daiki could know," I growled, not giving into the trick in the slightest.

"The purple Chappies are your favorite," Daiki said, "But the pink ones are a close second for you because of how cute they are."

I blushed, "Of all the things to say! Did you have o say it so loudly?"

"Well, since in the only one besides Ichigo and your immediate family that know that you're a Chappy otaku," Daiki said, shrugging, "I thought it was a safe bet."

"Just shut up and get me out of here!" I whispered harshly.

"Sorry, I can't do that," Daiki said.

"Why not?" I blinked.

"If I do, there's no way that I can get any good information from those three," Daiki said, "I'll get you out alive, safe and sound without them even noticing your gone, but only if you have patience, alright?"

I looked away, staring into the shadows in my cell, "Fine. Just go."

"Thank you, Misami," Daiki said, and I felt his presence vanish in the next instant.

"Stupid idiot," I muttered to myself, "Couldn't you tell that I hate this place?"

* * *

Takeshi grinned at Agramon, who had stumbled back in surprise at the power of his Resurreccion's release. The katana he had been wielding was gone. Replacing it was a great sword made of Hollow bone, infused with a special spiritual pressure amount to make it durable. The air around Takeshi thickened, his maddening grin shining in the light of his spiritual pressure's glow. The cloud of dust settled, and the two powerful warriors circled one another with killer intent in each of their gazes. The Hollows that had been here long before either of them were now bowing in a a circle around the two of them, an way of the lower ranked Hollows to show respect and reverence for the two powerful lords of their world. The undisputed king of Hueco Muendo after Aizen's defeat and imprisonment, and one of the three Vasto Lorde that was plotting to take his place. They all dared not move or interfere with the battle ahead, for fear of the wrath of either of them.

"Agramon," Takeshi said, "I've trained you and your comrades well. But I did not teach you all that I know."

"What?" Agramon growled out, as if through grounded teeth.

"I didn't teach you everything there was to be the strongest," Takeshi elaborated, "There were two reason's for this."

"And those are?" Agramon prodded, with no shortage of irritation.

"One, doing so would put you in a position to be able to defeat me in battle without much effort," Takeshi said, holding up one finger in a numbering fashion, then extended the next, "Two, I didn't even know it myself."

"What blasphemy are you spouting now, impostor?" Agramon yelled, "Master Takeshi knew everything and taught us everything!"

Takeshi chuckled, "You want to know what it was? Purpose."

"Purpose?"

"Purpose," Takeshi repeated, "If you actually had something to fight _for_, instead of something just to fight against, only then will you be able to find true strength. With the Soul Reaper that saved my life, I have found so much more power with her then against her."

"My master would never say something so misguided and stupid," Agramon growled.

"Then why is it that I have two seals and a collar around my neck, effectively no free will of my own, but I'm making this fight so one sided?"

"You-" Agramon said, but was cut off.

"That's enough talk, weakling," Takeshi said, slashing the air between them and sending a powerful wave of air from the move, "The weakest can talk all day, making all manner of threats, but the strong are the ones that can say nothing and still strike fear into their adversaries."

And with that, Takeshi pushed off of the ground and came at Agramon with his blade over his head in a one handed grip. Agramon, caught off guard by the speed at which the Arrancar had launched, crossed his forearms before himself as a defense. Takeshi's blade went clean through both of the Vasto Lorde's arms and punctured his chest. The Vasto Lorde coughed up a decent amount of blood, but remained firm as he quickly pulled himself off of Takeshi's great-sword. Blood once again painted the ground of the cavern, splattering on one of the Hollows bowing around them. The two of them vanished in respective Sonidos and clashed. Over and over again, the sounds of their strikes coming from all sorts f places in the air and on the ground, yet they could not be seen and were too fast to sense unless one had enough spiritual power. Blood splattered, limbs fell and were regenerated, and pain was in the air. Takeshi and Agramon were among the strongest in the world of the Hollows, and their fighting skills unmatched.

Takeshi appeared from his sequence of Sonido, Agramon soon following. Takeshi, almost instinctively, spun his great-sword in an elaborate manner. And every stroke of his sword would either expertly block on of Agramon's strikes, or strike at Agramon himself. Agramon growled and vanished into an impossibly fast Sonido, striking out at the Arrancar with razor sharp claws. Slicing into Takeshi, who had trouble keeping up with the speed of the Vasto Lorde, Agramon made sure to inflict as much pain as he could. He noticed that, like the Fourth Espada, Takeshi had maintained his ability of high speed regeneration through his transformation to an Arrancar, so chopping off his limbs wouldn't work any better then what good it was doing for Takeshi.

Takeshi crossed his arms in front of his face and endured the assault. He felt Agramon tear into his sides, his muscle, and all points that induced the maximum amount of pain. He smirked at the thought that his pupil would think that that was going to do anything but delay the inevitable. Then he blinked as a realization washed over him. Was recapturing Misami the only thing that they were trying to keep him from interfering in? Was there another thing that they were trying to delay him in finding? He shook his head, flaring his spiritual pressure to throw Agramon off his assault for just a split second. In that split second, however, he was able to slash away both of Agramon's arms in moves so quick that it seemed to meld together into one powerful move. Agramon let out a surprised grunt of pain and watched Takeshi with a sort of seething aura around him as his limbs regenerated. Takeshi slowly drifted down to the ground, the slash marks and wounds that the Vasto Lorde had inflicted during his last barrage already healing quickly. Agramon followed suit, and they both landed at the same time, panting from the energy that they had both expended in the latest rush of the fight.

"Impostor," Agramon said, his breath evening.

Takeshi merely looked at him in response, feeling no need to verbally respond.

"What happened to the master that took us in, and gave us a place to belong?" The Vasto Lorde's voice was neutral, "Where did that ruthless, powerful Vasto Lorde that I looked up to with every fiber of my being?"

Takeshi sighed and looked at the Vasto Lorde, placing his free hand in a fist over his Hollow hole, "Right here. I may have changed a little, but not by much."

"But the Takeshi I knew wouldn't befriend a _Soul_ Reaper," Agramon said, "He wouldn't betray us and switch sides like that!"

"My decision to 'defect'," Takeshi said, making air quotes, "Was nothing personal. Firstly, when they took me to the Soul Society, I was unconscious. Secondly, when I woke up, I had so many seals on me that I couldn't lift my head. Also, the Soul Reaper that you've captured saved my life, so I owe her my life in return. I my have joined out of obligation beforehand. But five hundred years without being able to move your body can change your perspective. Plus there was the added bonus of having access to the most powerful Soul Reapers in the Soul Society, provided I didn't kill them."

"You have no idea what we've had to go through to survive here since you left," Agramon said, "We had to fight off an entire army the week after you disappeared. We barely made it out alive."

Takeshi shrugged, "I hate to break it to you, my friend, but I really could care less. Worse has happened to people in worse conditions."

"You always were like that," Agramon shook his head, "Apathetic to the weak. Aggressive to the strong. Glad to see at least that hasn't changed."

Takeshi held up his sword hand, pointing his middle and index fingers together at Agramon, a dense ball of blood red spiritual pressure forming. Agramon charged up his own attack, and they both said the name as they fired their attacks.

"_Cero._"

* * *

Ichigo stood before the throngs of Hollows that were around the Vasto Lorde. His sleeveless Captains Haori becoming like his Bankai out fit, flowing like the cloak and tattered at the bottom. The black, long Daito of his Bankai in his grip. He glared at the Vasto Lorde before him, feeling quite ticked off at the Hollow. Black, red accented spiritual pressure that felt like a Vasto Lorde itself swirled around him like fire. He vanished in a burst of Flash Step and appeared, slicing through the army of Hollows around the Vasto Lorde. He fired off several unnamed Getsugas to thin their ranks even further, all but wiping out the low class Hollows and leaving just the Adjuches. He was completely silent, save for the grunts of effort that the attacks that he was using demanded, as he decimated the Hollows around him. He even fired off a few Hado, namely No. 4: Byakurai, until there was nothing left but the Vasto Lorde that had been leading all of the Hollows. The crumbled corpses of the enemies Ichigo had just slain dissipated into nothingness as they joined the reincarnation cycle. The Vasto Lorde seemed almost unphased by the display, as if he had expected it, as he stood watching Ichigo kill the Hollows he had brought.

When the Soul Reaper Captain was finished, his gaze finally turned towards the Vasto Lorde, "You better tell me where they are, Hollow."

"I'm sorry," The Vasto Lorde said, "But as I said before, we aren't finished with them just yet."

"I don't care! Give them back!"

"As much as I would like to, I have other places to be," The Vasto Lorde said, as more and more Hollows started to appear around him, "But my associates here have time to spare if you'd like to take out your frustration on them."

"Why you-"

"If that's all, I'll be going them," The Vasto Lorde said, turning around and leaving with a burst of Sonido.

Ichigo, yelling for the Vasto Lorde to stop, was forced to deal with the increasing number of Hollows that were closing in on his position. He readied his blade, blocking an incoming strike while he kicked a Hollow square in the chest as it advanced. The Hollow flew back, knocking down two on its way to the ground. Ichigo condensed his spiritual pressure into the edge of his blade, and it started to slice through the tough hide of the Hollow with ease, effectively ending the deadlock the two of them. Ichigo jumped up into the air, his cloak-like Bankai Shihakusho and Captain's Haori flowing behind him, in order to dodge a slash from another Hollow before him. He threw his weight back, and kicked forward at the same time, forcing his body into a back flip. While in the air, Ichigo fired a series of Hado and unnamed Getsugas in quick succession. Hollow after Hollow was killed and vanquished with each strike. An extremely tall and powerful looking Adjuches class Hollow stood where Ichigo would be facing him after he completed his back flip.

When he landed, Ichigo aimed the tip of his black sword to the center of the Adjuches, just below where its Hollow hole was. Then, pressing the majority of his spiritual pressure to his legs and the tip of the sword, Ichigo raced forwards and skewered the Adjuches just as it was charging up a decently sized Cero. When Ichigo killed it, the premature Cero discharged, taking out a good number of the surrounding Hollows as the last of the Adjuches' energy dissipated. Ichigo didn't stop to watch the fireworks, and continued on to cleave through the remaining Hollows with everything he had. When he finally found the last of them vanished into the reincarnation cycle, Ichigo stopped and took a deep breath.

Then, as he exhaled, he closed his eyes and felt his Shihakusho and Captain Haori return to normal as his black Daito returned to the meat-cleaver Shikai form it was known for. Ichigo reached out with his senses, trying to find anymore enemies that were about to attack while he was somewhat vulnerable. When he found no more Hollow presence, Ichigo reached as far out as he could with his senses, trying as much as he could to see if he could find the signature of his wife and little sister-in-law. Then, when he felt the only strong presence, one that belonged to a fighting Vasto Lorde and Takeshi, he ran in that general area in the hope that the girls he was searching for were nearby or at Takeshi's location.

He cut through any Hollow that got remotely close, ignoring the fatigue that plagued his body, as he raced to find those he cared about.

* * *

I stared with a vacant gaze at the cold walls of the prison cell I was in. My home, my sanctuary from all the monsters of my past. It was all I could do not to curse Daiki for leaving me in this place. Why couldn't he have just rescued Rukia and I like a good friend should? Why did I have to stay in this cell and relive every moment of pain that came with the sight of stains on the walls that were from my own blood.

Now I was sitting in the darkest corner of the cell, on the risen platform that was the bed. I was hugging my legs to my chest, pitifully rocking back and forth like some scared child. If I was honest with myself, that was exactly what my state of mind was at the moment. I was reduced to the mental capacity of a scared kid in the middle of an eternal nightmare. I was whimpering, my breath hitching when a particularly harsh memory would slam into my mind and drag me into a painful flashback.

Of the operations that Aizen performed on me, the ones where he didn't give me anything to put me under or numb the pain over every single slice and cut that he made, were sometimes a part of those flashbacks. Other times it as of the hours that I had to spend running in a maze like some lab rat, complete with the white hair, no less, running from Hollows that hadn't eaten in a long time. Sometimes it would be the torture session were I was whipped and cut into over and over again, the cries of pain that were my own filling my ears as I was brought on the verge of unconsciousness only to be woken back up by electric shock from the chair I was sitting in. But it was mostly of the cell I was in and the cavern of Hollows, the aptly named Den of Hell by us test subjects, that plagued my memories. The things I had to do to survive were terrible, purposeful making alliances with other test subjects only to trick them into become meat shields, cannon fodder, or snacks to keep the Hollows busy while I ran for my life. I'd lost count of how many I had betrayed to further my own survival. What scared me the most was the fact that I couldn't remember the names of those I got killed...and that I didn't even _care_. What kind of a person doesn't care about the hundreds of souls that they lead to the slaughter just so that they could survive?

_Hikari, _I thought softly to myself, knowing from failed attempts to connect with my Zanpakuto through my torrent of emotions, _What's wrong with me?_

_Nothing is wrong with you, Master, _suddenly Hikari no Tenshi's voice echoed in my mind, _You did was for your own survival. You were only at the mental capacity of a five year old, no less, so you couldn't have done anything but act on instinct. _

_How long have you known about my blocked memories, Hikari? _I asked my sword spirit, every bit of how defeated I was feeling.

_I am a part of your soul, Master, _Hikari said, sounding apologetic, _So I knew all along._

_Why didn't you tell me? _I moaned as I thought that response, my arms pulling my legs closer to my chest.

_I didn't want to see you like this, Master, _My Zanpakuto seemed sad, _I never wanted for you to get hurt..._

I started to cry after that. Great sobs wrenched through my chest, a lump forming in my throat as tears cascaded down my rosy cheeks. I gritted my teeth, trying to stop the flow of tears, but I couldn't. I cried from the pain I was remembering, of how I had felt like I was dying almost all the time. I cried because of the loneliness I felt without Rukia, Ichigo, Takeshi, or Daiki here. I cried for everything bad that I had ever had to go through, including the things that I had to go through in the Rukkon. Of the emptiness that was still there from the deaths of my makeshift family from Hanging Dog, and of all the things that I had to steal just to survive. The loneliness that had come of the century that I had to live alone in the Rukkon and had to run from all the bad men and the monsters of the poorer districts of the Soul Society.

A loud sound shook me from my spiraling flashback, and I blinked in surprise. I looked at the door, eyes wide and full of fear. I blinked again, cursing myself for reacting exactly like I had when Aizen had me, and looked at the door again with the stoic expression that the Kuchiki were known for. There was a Hollow at the door, sliding the key into the lock. It looked through the barred window, then through the door as it creaked open and let in the din light from the hallway. It didn't say anything, and neither did I. I just stared at it, waiting for the inevitable sequence of the Hollow to rip my shivering body from where it sat and drag me to some terrible place filled with monsters. But there was a delay, something that usually only happened when the Hollow was mentally deciding to either try and plead to have a nibble of my flesh or to continue with the orders it was given, and the Hollow just stood there.

I slowly, sniffling as my nose ran slightly, and started to stand while I wiped away the tears still in my eyes and on my cheeks. I took a good bit longer then I would have, but my energy was kind of drained from my body healing the supposedly mortal wound that was on my right side. I had a limp, every time I moved my right leg I felt a stabbing pain from my still healing side and I had to hold my side like some cliche wounded anime character as I walked up to the Hollow.

It remained still, then it did something that I couldn't comprehend. The Hollow began to fall forward. It was all I could do to scramble away from its enormous form before it crashed down on the floor of my cell. In the haze of dust, which some of it mixed with my sweaty skin and made it all the more dirty, I saw something that made me feel at least a little better. Sticking out of the Hollows back was a good five of Daiki's shadow throwing knives, their spirit energy making it look like they were slowly leaking as they dissipated. I was too hurt and in pain to smile, though, and held my side as I limped out into the hallway. The lights of the hallway were as dim as ever, but Daiki was close enough for me to sense him even with the dampened sensing abilities I had at the moment. I continued on regardless, droning on as if it as me that had killed the Hollow and I was now trying to find my own way out. I limped through the halls, trying to find Rukia and Nel before I passed out from exhaustion.

There was a good amount of Hollows that I came across, but they would all suddenly end up dead with shadow throwing knives in their backs. The ground hurt beneath my sore feet, small twinges of pain that I barely even felt shot up my legs when I stepped on a stray chunk of the walls. Those chunks were actually sort of sharp, so I found myself leaving foot prints of my own blood in the hallways. I shivered, feeling cold and as alone as I'd ever been. I wanted to be able to just lean on someone, to be able to leave myself in the hands of someone I trusted so that I wouldn't have to fight as hard as I had been. I wanted just to at least of the option of giving up and collapsing in a puddle of my own blood. But Daiki seemed content to just watch me from the shadows, acting as the silent guardian angel third party.

"Who do we have here?" I heard from my right, just as I entered an inter section between halls.

There down the hall was Rukia, holding her right arm as blood dripped from her fingers. Nel was behind Rukia, looking worried for my adoptive sister. There were three Hollows backing Rukia into a corner. She was panting, grimacing so much that one eye was closed. The cut on her cheek was healing at least, and there didn't seem to be anything else wrong with her besides the leaking wound on her arm. I didn't even realize that I was turning towards them, let alone actually moving faster then a snail's pace. I was still limping, but I didn't notice the pain that was shooting through my body in protest to my sudden use of energy that I didn't have. Rukia and Nel noticed me almost immediately. Their expressions went from happy, to worried, to scared in about three seconds as they realized that the Hollows saw me too. I shot Rukia a pleading look, hoping she would get the message that I couldn't say out loud. "_Duck!_"

"Hado No 33: Sokatsui!" I said as loud as I could, lifting my free arm up and aiming the palm towards the three charging Hollows.

The pale blue fire of the Hado exploded out of my hand and obliterated the Hollows where they stood. I let out a satisfied sigh, then I felt myself trip over a risen part of the floor. Pain shot up the leg that had jammed into the floor, and I could feel the bones in some of those toes crack. I started to fall foreword, my face blank as the pain of my foot and the pain that radiated from my wounded side washed over my mind. I was out of breath from both that pain, the Kido I had just fired, and from the running I had just done despite the former two. Thankfully, Rukia was fast enough to catch me before my face hit the floor. I wouldn't have had the energy to break my fall with my hands, and I had been planning on just rotating so that the main impact would strike one of my shoulders instead.

"Misami!" Rukia said, shaking my shoulders as soon as she laid my head on her small lap.

"Wha-?" I said, sounding as exhausted as I felt, "Oh, hey, Rukia...Sorry I missed dinner...I tried to wash all this blood off but...Hey, why's Nel in the Manor?"

"Is Misami okay, Rukia?" Nel asked, "Nel thinks she doesn't look so good..."

"She's fine, just tired, Nel," Rukia said, looking down and stroking a stray lock of my hair out of my face and behind my ear, "We need to find a way out of here. Do you know a way, Nel?"

Nel nodded vigorously, "Nel knows a way out, Rukia! Follow Nel!"

Rukia, sighing, stood and tried to help me up. I groan in pain and stood with her, surprised that I even had the energy to keep my eyes open. To even further my shock, we both began to make our way slowly in the wake of the child Arrancar. Rukia held her arm while I held my side, both of our respective wounds leaking crimson. I shut my eyes tight, not wanting to see anything that would cause a flashback to weaken my senses again. The sounds of our panting as we fought exhaustion the only thing that was filling my ears, of which I was grateful. Since we were so close, as siblings and physically at the moment, I could sense that Rukia had a lot of question for me once we got back to the Soul Society. I could tel that she would wait patiently until I was ready to talk about it, but she also wished for the truth to be revealed to her as soon as possible so that she could find some way to help me. That was just how Rukia was, and it was what made her the perfect sister for me.

My thoughts were interrupted as we came upon an intersection between halls, two of the three ways we could have gone having Daiki's uncanny shadow knives littering the path. I took this as an aid in direction, possibly away from Hollows and other enemies. Rukia and Nel had the same thought as I did and turned down the way that was void of any of the Fourth Seat's shadow blades. This turned out to be to the right, down a hall that had almost enough lighting to be able to see the hairline cracks in the walls. There was a hole in the roof that lead out into the dome, under the fake sky of Las Noches. There were no Hollows in sight, but there was something that had the opposite effect of the sight of a Hollow would.

Down the hall was a bobbing mess of orange hair. The figure wore a slightly tattered Captain's Haori, a massive meat cleaver-like Shikai blade with the white bandages of its hilt fluttering behind him as if they were slightly unraveled. Rukia instantly seemed to have unlimited energy, gently putting me down and starting to run towards her husband and Captain. Nel hopped onto my shoulder as I sat up, and we both watched Rukia jump into the carrot top's arms and kiss him passionately on the lips. If I had had the energy, I have no doubt that I would have made some sort of gagging noise at the public display of affection. BUt I had almost none, so I decided to conserve as much of it as I could. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself down and let the fact that Ichigo was finally here wash over me. My breath hitched as my filling lungs stretched the healing tissue of my side and I started to cough involuntarily as a result. Ichigo and Rukia rushed to my side after they heard that coughing fit, sending an avalanche of worried questions my way. A trail of blood leaked from the corner of my mouth as the coughing subsided, and smiled up at them with my eyes half closed for lack of energy.

Gosh, I must have looked pitiful at that moment. Ichigo gave me a gentle hug, thankfully noticing that I was holding my side for a reason and directed the main squeeze of the embrace to my shoulders. With my free hand, I hugged him back, feeling truly safe for the first time since I had been taken here by those stupid Hollows. Ichigo released my and then laid my body down gently. He said something along the lines of an apology and I felt the cloth of my Shihakusho shift and get lifted off of my shoulders. My the skin of my chest exposed, safe for what wasn't covered by my bra, Ichigo began to dress my wounds with the cloth from his Zanpakuto's hilt. I felt his strong hands pull the slack in the bandages, as he sat me up so that he could wrap it wound my back. I felt heat rise to my cheeks at the thought of what was going on, but I held on to the piece of mind that at least no one was around besides those I completely trusted to dress my wound. I could tell that the bandages were already soaked with the blood leaking form the wound, but the pressure that it provided was keeping it from bleeding too badly. Quickly, Rukia's petite hands slipped my arms through the shortened sleeves of my Shihakusho and my exposed chest and midsection were once again covered by its black cloth. I felt much more comfortable now, the heat leaving my cheeks. I still, however, had almost no energy whatsoever.

Rukia helped Ichigo lift me up onto his shoulders, and I felt a pang of nostalgia as it felt just like our Academy days when I could ride on Ichigo's back in between classes. I tried my best to hold onto Ichigo's neck with what strength I had left, but it was obvious that Ichigo was doing the majority of the work supporting my meager weight. And I could feel us running quickly, thinking that Ichigo must have used some sort of basic healing Kido to give Rukia some strength, making a beeline for the hole in the roof that lead to a place with light. I could hear Hollows starting to reach out location, and I could smell their putrid scent. My wounded side forced me to take shallow breaths, as each shock wave that came with Ichigo's foot hitting the ground as he ran upset my wound. Nel was doing the same thing that I was doing, but she was on Rukia's back. Also, unlike me, I could see that she was actually having a blast without a care in the world.

If only I could have had a childhood like that.

* * *

The Cero blasts had reduced the ground of the cavern to a sizable crater. The edges of that crater reached just to the feet of the surrounding Hollow spectators. They had been continually clashing since that mutual strike, the sounds of their strikes and counter-strikes reverberating throughout the walls of the cavern. Some of the spectating Hollows had been obliterated by the stray beam attacks and the air pressure waves that came off of the slashing of Takeshi's sword. All in all, The Arrancar was thankful at least that Misami wasn't there to get hurt by stray attacks. His opponent was having trouble keeping up with him now, even though Takeshi had two restraints that only let through enough power that was equal to Misami's own. But Takeshi knew that his body, with every hit that he took, would only make him stronger as the fight dragged on. This ability didn't exponentially increase his strength, sadly, but it did make him able to continue the fight long after his body would have given up.

Suddenly, Takeshi stopped in his tracks, and started to look around the cavern like he had just remembered something important. He sensed Nel and Ichigo'd spiritual pressure moving quickly up and out of the palace. He smirked.

"Oh good," Takeshi said, looking away from Agramon but still parrying the strike, "The carrot top's found the Midgets."

"What did you say?" Agramon said, jumping back to dodge Takeshi's absent minded counter attack.

"Sorry, my former student," Takeshi said, his great sword dissipating back into its katana form and his body returning into its usual Arrancar self, "But I'll be making my leave. I look forwards to finishing this fight the next time we meet."

And with that, Takeshi vanished into the buzz of a Sonido. Ripping through space, he found the hole that he made to enter the cavern they were in and went through it. He retraced his steps until he was in the network of hallways and rooms that he had been previously searching for Misami. Then he honed in on the position of the four spiritual pressures that were most definitely not Hollows, with the special exception of a certain carrot top Captain, and tried his best to find the fastest route there. He blasted through walls and ceilings that were in his way, but it was getting harder and harder to do that. His energy reserves were actually drained from his fight with Agramon, which was something that he didn't think would happen with just the skirmishes that they had been engaged in. The very thought of that being true made Takeshi scoff.

But he found it to not be that much of a shock, since he himself had trained that opponent. Plus, there was the added fact that he had been restricted severely. Takeshi still was in the dark as to why the three of them had grown so strong over the past five hundred years. He had taught them well, sure, but even he didn't expect them to improve this much. Especially in his absence from Hueco Muendo. It was admittingly...concerning that they had become as strong as they were, and made Takeshi wonder what they were planning to do with their Hollow army. Surely they saw it was pointless to take over to the Soul Society after seeing how someone as powerful as Aizen couldn't do it.

As Takeshi broke through yet another wall, then the ceiling of that room, he found himself running down a dark hall with almost no lighting to speak of. But when he came to an intersection between halls, he stopped. In the middle of the intersection was a throwing knife stuck in the concrete, a strange stream of shadows acting like smoke rising out of the hilt. Takeshi knew that could only belong to one Soul Reaper, and one alone. This especially introverted Soul Reaper was one of the few that the Arrancar could bear the company of, on accounts that he never tried to force any unnecessary communication, and that he desired Misami to be protected as much as he did.

"We have to hurry," Daiki said, appearing seemingly out of thin air thanks to the speed of his Flash Step, "They'll find out soon that Misami's escaped."

"Oh?" Takeshi said, "Besides the obvious, what is so bad about that?"

Daiki vanished in a Flash Step, forcing Takeshi to follow in a Sonido, "They found some data on some experiments that Aizen performed here, and they were trying to find a way to control it."

"And that's bad how?"

"The experiment was on a concept of mixing a soul with a Hollow," Daiki said as they broke out into the better lit hallways near the dome with the fake sky, "AS it turned out, the combination was the formation of a soul that had some characteristics of an Arrancar. The way in which it was done, it was easily hidden so that no one would know that the soul in question was tainted by a Hollow. Aizen had been planning to use this to infiltrate the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and destroy it from the inside."

"That sounds bad..." Takeshi said, "So how many did the guy make?"

"Only one was successfully completed to full specifications," Daiki said, hesitating, "The only reason Aizen didn't send the experiment to infiltrate the Soul Society was because the soul found a way to over-ride the Hollow controlling it, at least temporarily. And since Aizen felt he had no use for an experiment that even had the possibility of back firing on him and blowing his cover while a Captain, he had the experiment thrown into the Rukkon with her memories wiped."

"Wait, you said 'her'," Takeshi said, blinking and suddenly sounding very angry, "Who is it?"

"Misami," Daiki said, after a pregnant silence, "It's Misami that has a Hollow in her Soul."

Just then, the two of them broke through the ceiling of the last hallway and found themselves in the dome area of the palace of Las Noches.


	17. Homecoming Interrogation

**Author's Note: Hey guys, here's another chapter of Prodigy! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, the plot, the ideas and my many OCs.**

The world was black for the longest time. My memory of how I had gotten to where I currently was was hazy at best. I remember Takeshi and Daiki meeting up with us, as I watched from my usual spot on Ichigo's shoulder. I tried, though I obviously failed, to remain awake at least until we arrived back at the Soul Society. My head hurt, a migraine throbbing in my temples. All I could do was look up and around where I was now.

I was wearing a white kimono, medical bandages covering half of my body with double wrappings on my side. I was laying down on a bed, which was a slightly too firm mattress for my taste. There was almost no pain from my wounds, which was so strange feeling that I felt almost hollow without the unpleasant feeling. The world was edged in a white haze, and it seemed that everything was slightly paler then the last time I had seen it. My swords, which Daiki had retrieved just before he met up with Takeshi along with Rukia's Zanpakuto, were leaning against the wall to my right. Sleeping in a chair next to me was Rukia, a worried expression on her face. There were bags under her eyes, which meant she had had to have been with me for at least the majority of the time I had been out. Strangely enough, I couldn't sense many presences around me, which made me worry. I took a huge breath, happy that I was sucking in air that wasn't tainted with the foul odor of Hollow. The Squad Four Barracks was a nice place in the Seireitei that I had visited only a few times in the centuries I had served as Ichigo's Third Seat, and that was mainly for paperwork purposes. There was a nice, relaxing aura about this part of the Seireitei that I found solace in almost as well as I did the small hill in the garden next to my room in the Kuchiki Manor.

I looked down, and my stomach dropped. My eyes widened in shock, then they shifted almost instantly to a look that was a perfect mix of disappointment and sorrow. I still had the seals from when I was captured on my wrists. I blinked, hoping that this wasn't some twisted nightmare that I would wake up from in my cell. There was something else that was on my wrists. Restraints.

_What the heck? _I thought, trying to left my arm but the restraints stopping it from going too far.

The seals, along with how I was weak from all the wounds, made me have almost no strength left. There was a restraint for both of my wrists and my ankles, the chains and cuffs that attached the restraints to the bed I was in were set up in such a way to where I could sit up. But that was the extent of my mobility. I almost started to panic, My fists and jaw clenching hard as I strained to get rid of the restraints that were on my limbs. Scratch that, I was _completely _freaking out. Memories of Gin restraining my arms and legs just like this slammed into my senses, and I couldn't help but feel the same sense of absolute helplessness that I had to go through while endured the agony of Aizen's first experiment on me. I was almost willing to set off a high level Kido to get rid of the restraints at least, but the seals did their job well and I hadn't the state of mind to do anything near the amount of concentration it would take. I couldn't help but have this reaction, the feelings of the restraints feeling too much like that time. I ripped my arm to the side, hoping that I might have enough strength to break the chains that connected the leather manacles to the bed I was in. The same went for my legs. The sounds of the slack going out of the metal chains sang through the

My struggling, of course, didn't go unnoticed by at least every Soul Reaper in a thirty meter radius. Rukia jolted awake, her eye wide in surprise. She saw the crazed, fearful look in my eyes, and she was instantly at the bed side, holing my hand in both of hers. She had tears about to fall from her eyes, ready to cascade down her soft cheeks with almost any form of provocation.

"Misami," She was saying, whispered as if it were a prayer, "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"R-Rukia?" I stuttered, my mind still reeling from my panic attack, "How long was I out?"

"At least a week," Rukia said after a small silence, "The Squad Four Captain herself healed your wounds. You had lost so much blood, and you were so weak because of the seals, that she said that you wouldn't wake up for a long time. You were in really bad shape, Sister."

I sighed, managing a smile that caused my dry lips to crack and bleed slightly, "You stayed by my side all that time, huh?"

I must have been such a pitiful sight. My skin was pale, almost blending with the white bandages that the Fourth Squad had given me. My skin had been cleaned, the dirt, grime, and blood removed. I could easily tell that my white hair had been cleansed of the dirt and blood that had matted it to my scalp, and that it had been brushed to removed the knots that had formed in it. A moment's glance next to the chair Rukia had been sitting in, and I saw the brush she herself must have used to do that. There was without a doubt a sad mix of pain, fear, and exhaustion in my cold blue eyes, since those three feelings were threatening to overwhelm me if Rukia let go of my hand. My chest rose and fell in deep rhythm with my quietly beating heart. There was a sharp pain in my side, where the tension of the bandages pressed too tightly onto my still healing wounds when I took too deep a breath. My grip, even through I was trying with all I had, was weak in Rukia's cradling hands. With the adrenaline of the panic attack fading fast, I had no energy to call my own. All I could do was show how happy I was to have Rukia there with me.

So I smiled as she spoke in a soft voice, "Yes, Misami, every single waking moment I've been waiting for you to wake up. Ichigo was trying to stay with me too, but the Squad needed him since Daiki has had to run things while we were gone. Everyone in the Squad was worried about you, Misami. They came so often that Captain Unohana had to turn them away at some point."

"Is it bad?" I croaked softly.

Rukia looked at my bandaged wounds then to my tired face, "You should make a full recovery by the end of the week."

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Rukia, why am I chained to the bed?"

Rukia looked away from my gaze, dropping my hand and enveloping my weak body in a hug. I forgot my train of thought in that instant, tears starting to form in my eyes as I felt myself giving in to the temptation I didn't know was there. As I started to cry quietly into Rukia's shoulder, I couldn't help but think of why Rukia would do what she's doing. The Kuchiki that I had come to admire and wish to be like had far more experience than I did with masking her emotions behind a curtain of indifference. So either she was so relieved that I was alright and she really couldn't just hold it in anymore, or she was trying to avoid the subject that I had just brought up. Or maybe it was more of the latter with a touch of the former. But at that particular moment, I didn't really care why she had given me this embrace, and I tried to hug her back. But the restraints that were in my hands only let my hands brush my sister's shoulders. I couldn't really do anything in the state that I was in, weakened and chained. So I let Rukia hug me.

And I continued to cry for a reason that I didn't even know.

* * *

_One Week Earlier..._

Daiki bowed before the Head Captain, the two rows of the twelve other Captains flanking him. Aside from Captain Unohana, since Misami had been in such bad condition that only she could heal her wounds, all of them were in attendance. Ichigo seemed rather pensive, every Captain knowing that the carrot top wished to be with his Third Seat. They had been ordered from the Squad Four Barracks' waiting room outside the infirmary for this emergency Captains' meeting, Daiki so that he could report his findings to the Head Captain personally. Reluctantly, the two men obliged their superior after a bout of protest.

Daiki had just finished his report on what he had found in the seemingly abandoned palace of Las Noches.

"So what you are saying, Fourth Seat," The Head Captain said, "Is that Third Seat Kuchiki is part Hollow?"

"Yes, sir," Daiki said.

"And you found some information that Aizen was able to control the Third Seat through that Hollow?" The Head Captain inquired.

Daiki nodded, "I found data sheets that showed how to do exactly that."

"Are the Vasto Lorde capable of controlling the Third Seat?"

Daiki was quiet under his hood and scarf for a moment, "Yes, sir, they would be able to activate the sequence with the equipment at the palace."

"Then we must have her restrained until we are sure that she is beyond their control," The Head Captain said.

"I'll inform the Fourth Squad Captain immediately, sir," The Second Squad Captain said, stepping forward.

"After the meeting is adjourned, Captain Soi Fon," The old man said, then turned to Ichigo, "Captain Kurosaki."

"Wha-Yes, Head Captain?" Ichigo stepped forward and tuned to face the stooped old man.

"I'm was informed that sometime ago, you, your Lieutenant, the then Fourth Seat of Squad Thirteen and three of your squad members witnessed Third Seat Kuchiki displaying an abnormal personality and fighting style?"

"Y-Yes, sir," Ichigo nodded slightly.

After a second or two the Head Captain spoke, "Elaborate, Kurosaki."

"Well," Ichigo said, "She was able to use Flash Step really well, and her Kido skills were so good that she didn't need an incantation. But she was acting like...a...well, kind of like a psycho. It was like she was a serial killer or something."

The room was quiet for a few seconds. In those few seconds, Daiki replayed that night through his mind. Misami, then just an acquaintance in comparison to how close she was to him now, had been far from the quiet and shy girl that had been rumored to be adopted into the Kuchiki Clan. Daiki had heard the stories that had surrounded her, the ones that said that she was a smooth talker, the second princess of the Rukkon, that she kissed up to all the teachers to get through the academy, and things of that manner. Daiki had also heard the stories that made Misami out to be one of those strong, silent types that never talked much but were demons on the battlefield. It was because of those stories that Daiki himself was intrigued to meet the white-haired girl, since similar stories surround him. But Misami was not that girl, the one that had a pure heart and almost no social skills besides the ones that won the hearts over those around her whether she tried or not, but something that instilled fear in even Daiki.

To instill fear into Daiki was a feat that would probably never happen two times in a row in a million years. Misami had a look in her eyes that looked just as Ichigo had described...a psychopath. But it was a psychopath that had such wrath and ire that Hell itself couldn't hold a candle to it. Her mouth was lax, emotionless as she had her sword in her hand. Her bangs had fallen into her eyes, the raging torrent of her fire-like spiritual pressure of shadow and light having dislodged the hair pins and clips that held them at bay, and it made her look as though she was possessed. Even the Vasto Lordes that had been the target of this terrifying display had taken a step back from shock and pure fear despite their inability to feel such emotions well. Misami hadn't seemed to had even notice, though, since she wasn't herself at all. To describe her as a Demon, as her reputation had, in light of the fact that part of her soul was part Hollow, made the nickname all the more accurate.

The voice of the Head Captain shook Daiki from his relapse, "Thank you, Captain Kurosaki."

"I think that we could easily find a solution to this...dilemma, Head Captain," Mayuri Kurosutchi said, as creepily as ever, "All I would need to do it dissect this Misami Kuchiki to find out all her little...secrets."

"Out of the question," Daiki said despite himself.

"Know your place, Fourth Seat," Captain Soi Fon said, seemingly out of reflex.

"What is your reasoning, Fourth Seat?" The Head Captain suddenly said, the instant Soi Fon was done speaking herself.

"The Third Seat has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder associated with situations like medical restraints and surgical procedures, Head Captain. I do not think that the Third Seat would be able to handle much more then even waking up to her limbs being restrained. I fear that too much of any one negative emotion could cause the Hollow part of her soul to temporarily go beyond her control." Daiki said.

"Your opinions are taken with due consideration, Fourth Seat," The Head Captain said, turning back to the pharaoh-like mad-man of a Captain, "And you are denied permission to dissect the Third Seat of Squad Five. I'm sure the majority of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads are in agreement."

Kurosutchi grumbled as he returned to his place. The Head Captain continued, "Why did these Vasto Lorde guard Third Seat Kuchiki as much as they did?"

Daiki raised his hand and spoke when the Head Captain nodded his head, "They were trying their best to continue the processes in which Aizen elicited a reaction from the Hollow essence within the Third Seat. They needed time to find what worked best so that they could understand how to control it."

"What were these 'processes'?"

"Starvation, sleep deprivation, isolation in darkness, torture, being left awake and without any alleviation from pain during surgical procedures," Daiki said, having memorized every iota of information he had found during his mission, "Being forced to run a maze that was filled with Hollows, having to survive and run from a swarm of Hollows for extended periods of time. Being drugged through what little food was given to her. There are many other 'processes' in which Aizen went about his work with Third Seat Kuchiki, but it would unfortunately take me a long time to list them for you, sir."

Even though Daiki didn't look around, he knew that all Captains, except for Kurosutchi and Kenpachi, had varying levels of expressions ranging from sympathetic to shocked to appalled. And then there was Ichigo, whom everyone knew was a hare's breath away from storming out of the room and charging into Hueco Muendo alone to vent his building rage. Daiki himself felt an level of anger that was akin to what Ichigo was feeling, but he couldn't exactly slaughter three Vasto Lorde on a whim like his Captain might possibly would.

"I see," The Head Captain said, at least a slight amount of pity entering his commanding voice, "That will be all, Fourth Seat. Please wait outside the doors until the meeting is adjourned. There is someone whom wishes to have a word in private with you."

Daiki obediently rose to his feet, bowed deeply, and turned around. Captain Soi Fon caught his eye, with a glare that told him exactly what he had suspected.

Soi Fon was the one who wished to speak with him. Daiki reluctantly resolved himself to the inevitable conversation as he exited the doors of the meeting and took up a post just outside.

* * *

Rukia caught me up on all that had happened after I came back with everyone. She talked about the squad, how much paperwork she still had, how she bought me another Chappy and was going to give it to me as a reward when I got well enough to leave. How she tired she was, how happy she was that we had gotten back when we did. But she never got the conversation in the direction of my past and what Daiki must have found in his little spying mission. Just because Rukia was trying to spare my feelings and keep me from thinking about it, something that I was grateful for, I knew that they knew about my dark past. Sure, I didn't know myself completely until after all the torture the Vasto Lorde had put me through, but it still remained what I was. I was part Hollow, part of me was the sworn enemy of me and my friends. At least I knew sort of how Ichigo felt now, with his powers having far more Hollow influence to them, but he at least had control over his Hollow powers.

"Hey, Misami? Earth to Misami!" Rukia said, waving a petite hand before my blank expression and shattering my spell of self loathing.

"Huh, wha?" I said, blinking.

"Someone's here to see you," Rukia said, smiling.

Behind her was a beautiful young woman, her Shihakusho fitting to her curves. She had strangely familiar green hair and an even more familir Hollow skull mask on top of her head and slightly to the side. There was a red marking that was thicker under the centers of her eyes and thinner were it crossed over the bridge of her nose, also something that was very familiar. She had a sword, the weapon having no feel of a Zanpakuto, at her side.

I blinked, the woman suddenly unable to contain herself and hugging me with much more force then Rukia had, "Nel?!"

"Yup! That's my name!" The Arrancar said, grinning happily.

"What are you-? How are you-? Huh?" I looked at her from where I sat.

"What? Am I hugging you too hard?" She pulled back, her head cocked in slight confusion but the smile not leaving her eyes.

"Uh, no. But when did you grow into...this?" I asked, motioning to the entirety of her body.

"Oh, Kisuke helped me so that I could stay in my adult form for as long as I want!" Nel said happily, smiling.

I smiled back, a spell of exhaustion and dull pain from the rough hug that Nel gave me making me sigh, "Good for you, Nel."

"Are you okay, Misami?" Rukia said, looking worried.

I waved off her concern, my features plagued with fatigue. I shook my head, trying to shake it off. My bangs, the hair pins and clips that I used to keep them out of the way of my eyes, obscured my vision. I groaned, whipping my head sideways so that at least my left eye was usable. Even with the bandages that were wrapped around my head like a bandanna, the bangs seemed unaffected and acted just like they did back when I wished to hide my scar.

I looked around the room we were in, the Squad Four infirmary was expectantly plain, with nothing really to adorned the walls aside from a window here and there. There was about three other patients in the room besides Nel, Rukia and I. They were all very much awake, save for one that seemed in a sort of comatose state. Those that were awake, a kind looking black haired girl and a strangely familiar Soul Reaper with brown hair and eyes. I blinked, noticing a strange look of recognition, envy, hatred, and over all dissatisfaction in the brown eyed one. There were severe injuries all over her skin, bandages covering almost any skin that the white kimono she was wearing didn't. She had a black eye, a cut on her jaw, and a chin that looked bruised. The bandages that I could see were red with freshly bled blood, which I thought meant the wounds were recent or they were so deep that they weren't healed all the way and therefore still bled. The girl rose from her bed when she noticed my eyes on her, and started towards me.

Rukia and Nel noticed, Rukia with a similar glint of recognition in her eyes, as they retracted from my bed as to give the new girl some room. The brunette walked up to the foot of my bed solemnly, her teeth seeming to clench in hatred and distaste. Whatever she was about to do, it wasn't out of the goodness of her heart. Then, to the surprise of all of us, the girl bowed.

"Miss Kuchiki," The girl said, "I am deeply sorry for the grief my friend and I caused you during your time at the Academy."

I blinked, everything falling into place in that instant. This girl was the taller of the two nobles that had harassed me right after when I got to the Academy. And the girl in the comatose state, with her wounds too severe to warrant her being awake just yet, was the shorter of them. Memories, and unpleasant ones that I thought were long in the past, flashed through my mind of how they had treated me, slapped me, scorned my very existence any chance they got in the halls of the Academy. They were actually the ones that spread any and all bad rumors about me in the Academy, most likely out of retribution than any witnessed things that I did. Sure those rumors earned me some dirty looks from people for a short time, but they didn't have any proof to them in light of the skills that I displayed in the last days of my classes before leaving the Academy. Aside from that, I had to wonder why they were in Squad Four with such severe injuries.

So that's exactly what I said, and with a neutral tone, "What happened to you and your friend?"

She blinked, not thinking that I would actually strike up conversation with her, then she adorned an angry look in her eyes, "Your pet Arrancar attacked us because he found out what happened to you at the Academy. We almost died."

I felt my eyes widen slightly in surprise as she said it, but my skills at hiding my emotions made the change almost unnoticeable. Takeshi had done this to them? Had Central 46 allowed him to be out of prison without me awake for a week? I could only imagine the amount of fights that the Arrancar had had in the week I had been asleep. I had no idea how he had found out about these two nobles, but I found no surprise that he had attacked them like he did. Takeshi always tried to get those that hated or opposed me in any way that he saw fit, even in the few times that he had been outside of his cell. I can only imagine what else must have happened, and where he was.

"Sorry about that..." I said, letting my head drop as I closed my eyes and sighed dismissively, "The Arrancar Takeshi is like an older brother to me, and tends to over react to anything that pertains to me. You have my word that I will personally make sure this won't happen again."

The girl clenched her fists, still bowing, "How?"

"Pardon?" I cocked an eyebrow, forgetting that that eyebrow was currently hidden behind my bands.

"How did you get so many allies and friends?" She asked looking up, a conflicted expression on her face.

I gave a small shrug, thinking back on the events that had lead to today, "Well, I suppose I had Captain Ukitake to thank. Had he not found me in the Rukkon and assigned Rukia to personally tutor me, I would have probably never gotten as closest to her as I am now. Which means I wouldn't have been adopted into the Kuchiki Clan, nor would I have met Captain Kurosaki or the majority of my other friends. For that matter, Takeshi Yagami would still be a Vasto Lorde and probably cause much more havoc since my brother and I wouldn't have been there to stop him."

"Captain Ukitake recruited you himself?" The girl blinked.

"That he did," I said, then sighed again as I turned to Rukia, "I haven't missed too much paperwork for the Squad, have I?"

Rukia shook her head, "Daiki took over for you, so you owe him big time."

I tried to lift my hand to my head, but the restraints stopped me, "Yeah, I guessed so. Where is everyone anyway?"

"Ichigo and Daiki are working on paperwork at the moment," Rukia said, looking pointedly over to both the brunette still standing before me and the blonde that was unconscious, "And Takeshi is under house arrest in the Squad barracks after his...activities."

I sighed, a wash of embarrassment flooding over me for a split second, then I spoke to the brunette, "Again, sorry about that."

The noble seemed to suddenly find my presence disgusting, as she wrinkled her nose before returning to her designated bed. Rukia, Nel and I looked at each other and shrugged at he display. I never intended to get under anyone's skin, but it seemed my mere existence was enough to get that woman mad. As it turned out, both of them had been assigned to Squad Thirteen after their graduation. Neither of them was a ranked officer, so they were given grunt work as a result. Since I knew just how friendly and comfortable the atmosphere was at Squad Thirteen, I found it sort of sad that the woman hadn't gained seemingly any form of kindness as a result of being in the Squad. But she, and even more so with her friend, looked in pretty bad shape for a Soul Reaper. I cringed at the thought of Takeshi attacking the both of them as retribution for what they did to me.

"Hey, Nel," I said turning to the Arrancar in question, "Why're you wearing a Shihakusho?"

"Oh!" She said, smiling, "I'm an honorary member of Squad Five now!"

I smiled weakly, "Honorary? So does that mean that you'll go back to Hueco Muendo soon?"

She smiled back, "Not if I don't want to! Anyway, can we go outside, Rukia?"

The Kuchiki in question shook her head, having a sort of sad expression on her features as she called for a Hell butterfly, "We have to notify Squad Two that Misami's awake, so that they can make sure that she's okay."

"Squad Two?" I repeated, "Why them?"

Rukia bit her lip, "Well...they know what...happened to you before you came to the Soul Society."

"Oh," Was all I could say after a pregnant silence.

* * *

Daiki sat at his desk, his elbow on his knee and his chin resting on his fist. His paperwork was finished, and Misami as rumored to have woken up from what he could tell. Which meant that he was going to hive to face the music, as they say. The Captain of Squad Two had, for all intensive purposes, interrogated him after the Captain's meeting a week ago on her way to inform Captain Unohana to restrain Misami's sleeping body. She had somehow or another made him swear that he would at least consider joining the Punishment Force. The terms were that he would be guaranteed a position of equal or greater value then that of where he currently was if he joined Squad Two, and that they would go easy on Misami with their questioning she woke.

Daiki had taken an entire day to decide whether to join or remain. He wanted to stay as close as he could to Misami, but he wanted to make sure that the Second Squad Captain didn't terrorize Misami right after waking up from such a terrifying experince. In the end, he decided on the former and informed Captain Soi Fon as such.

He was as paranoid as he had been back when he had lived in the out laying districts of the Rukkon. Because of how through and rigorous Captain Soi Fon was with her subordinates, he knew that she would definitely be looking into his file. Daiki had had to lie for just about everything to register, including his name since he himself had forgotten it due to only being called the names the Rukkon people gave him, and had to restrain his abilities in every aspect except Kido so that no one would notice his presence. The Rukkon had forced him to commit countless sins for the sake of his life. He was trained my a group of Soul Reapers that had been corrupt and worked with the crime organizations of the Rukkon to kill, steal, and obey. He, as he was one of many children forced into this twisted form of slavery, was one of the best they ever trained. He was only overshadowed by two or three of the others. He was the most well known, however, because of his appearance. Since most of the other assassin children were still just kids, they went about killing with fear in their eyes. They gained a reputation of being brainwashed drones that cried while they did their work. But the training regiment broke Daiki almost beyond repair, his humanity stolen from him.

He dawned a permanent look of killing intent and anger, making even his handlers look over their shoulders every once in a while. Even when one of his targets was a massive man that could throw around one hundred pounds like it was a paperclip, his expression never changed. With his humanity stolen, Daiki found no reason to speak to those who still did have such a thing, or at least acted like they did. Emotions, feelings and pain had no hold on him. When his master, the leader of the gangs and the corrupt Soul Reapers alike, gouged his left eye out in a fit of drunken rage Daiki only grit his teeth and stared at the man as he permanently rid him of his eye. The next day, his master brought him a glass eye and a black eye patch that probably was stolen from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He took the glass eye, slipped it in, and then put the eye patch over it.

Now that Daiki thought about it, no one knew that he had a fake eye to begin with. Not even Misami. The only witnesses of the event having gotten caught while he was out on an assignment they had given him. The eye patch made him notorious among the Rukkon, so Daiki practiced without wearing it. Eventually, he was able to hide the fact that his left eye was fake at all.

The point was that Daiki worried that they would take away his right to be a Soul Reaper once Soi Fon found the illegitimacy of his documents and what he had done as a child. And if that were to happen, Daiki feared that he would have to face the faces of the people of the Rukkon once again.

Daiki stood from his desk, taking a deep breath. He flipped up his hood, pulled up his black ragged scarf, and adjusted the two so that his features were hidden. He let Ichigo know that he was leaving by way of a Hell butterfly. Ichigo, of course, was the next person Daiki told about his decision to finally join the Punishment Force, so he knew that this was the last time he would see Daiki under his jurisdiction. Daiki left, sliding the door back into place as he left. A couple of squad mates, two women carrying a small stack of paperwork each, were walking the opposite way that he was going. They bowed and said a greeting, and Daiki inclined his head in acknowledgement before continuing on. He heard the two exhale a little louder then needed, meaning they had held their breath as he passed.

He made his way through the grounds of Squad Five, his footsteps habitually as quiet as always. The sun shone as it always did, the Seireitei as uneventful as one would think possible in a time of impending war. News of what the Hollows had done to the two jewels of the Kuchiki Clan had spread like wild fire along with the announcement to prepare the Squads for war. The usual gossip was centered around the Misami and Rukia, whom no one had seen since the pair had been admitted into Squad Four. Misami was in much worse shape than that of Rukia. Captain Unohana finished healing both of the girls, with Misami still unconcious while Rukia stayed with her sister. Rukia didn't leave that room unless she had to answer natures call or go to a Lieutenant's meeting. It was all the Seireitei's grunt Soul Reapers could talk about. The rumors did have at least one fact in them that was true: Misami was a step away from death when she arrived in Unohana's care.

Daiki had seen the wound on her side, three massive, parallel slashes, the two to the sides of the center slightly shorter, that started thick and thinned out to a point almost to the center of her stomach. A Hollow had barely missed her ribs and spine, either would have most likely been fatal. It was one of the wounds that was going to become a vicious looking scar regardless if even the Captain of the Fourth Squad healed it. Sadly, as the rumors seemed to agree, it was yet another blemish on the beautiful and stunning body of Misami Kuchiki. Daiki knew that Misami didn't like the scar that she had on her right cheek, so he felt bad for the white haired girl when he saw the severity of the wound for that reason as well as the obvious fact that it had to hurt like Hell. Regardless, both Daiki and the general population of the Seireitei was happy to know that that was the worst of their worries, since she was confirmed to make a full recovery.

Daiki had to move through the area of Squad Nine to reach Squad Four, and he tried to take the route that lead to as little contact with other souls to a minimum. Just as he hated witnesses to when he had to assassinate someone, he inherently disliked other people unless they were his superior or he liked them. Since the majority of the Seireitei consisted of people that were neither, excluding his former Squad Five and now Squad Two, he habitually used his highly above average stealth skills to vanish into the shadows. He made sure that no one saw him until he made it to the Squad Four infirmary. After which, he allowed himself to ooze out of the shadows and into the sight of others.

When he slipped quietly into the room, Daiki loudly cleared his throat to get the attention of the very much awake Misami.

The white haired Third Seat looked in his direction, a small smile touching her lips when she laid eyes on one of her few close friends, "Hey, where have you been?"

Daiki shrugged, "Around. I just finished with your paperwork, and I was told to take you to Squad Two as soon as you woke up."

"So you were transferred there?" Misami said, making Daiki blink.

"How'd you know?" Daiki looked over to Rukia, "Did you tell her, ma'am?"

Rukia shook her head, "No. And you can just call me 'Rukia', Daiki, it's been two hundred and fifty years and you're a good friend of ours."

Daiki nodded, "If it's alright with you, Rukia, I'll keep it formal if we're in a situation that calls for it. It's Misami's and I's policy too. Speaking of, how did you know?"

Misami, her right eye covered by long bangs like she used to wear them, gave another small smile, "Like Rukia said, we've known each other for a long time. How could I not notice how your spiritual pressure was different from the last time you talked to me? Not to mention how you said 'Squad Two' a little strangely."

Daiki sighed, "You're not mad?"

She shook her head, "Nope. If Captain Soi Fon has any sense, she'll replace her...incompetent Lieutenant with you, since you could probably beat the guy in your sleep."

"That's good to hear," Daiki said, laughing almost under his breath.

She rolled her eyes, "Anyway, how am I going to Squad Two if I'm chained to this bed?"

Daiki blinked, then turned to Rukia, "You can take them off now."

Rukia produced a key, and a relieved smile, "Finally."

Rukia rose from where she had been sitting, slipping the key into the locks of the cuffs. The semi-padded restraints fell away from her limbs and the chains made clattering sounds as they did. Misami swung her feet over the side of the bed and scooted off the edge onto the ground. She tried to stand, but suddenly lost her balance and fell back down onto the bed. Making a pouting expression at her inability to stand on her own, Misami stood again. This time she was able to stand, though in unsteady legs that might as well have been made of jelly. Not using her wounded and weakened body for a week hadn't helped her, her muscles not used to their being used. Daiki helped her with her things, handing her both of her swords as well as her scarf and tekko. Rukia found spare hair pins and gave them to her while she got ready.

Now, with both of Misami's ice blue gems visible thanks to the bangs being held at bay with the hair pins, her scarf's hem rising high enough to reach just over the tip of her nose with its twin tails trailing behind her back, and her tekko covering her arms up to just past her elbows, Misami looked like a more normal version of herself. The thing that was still throwing off Daiki, as far as looks were concerned, was the white kimono's sleeves weren't shortened like Misami's Shihakusho. Strangely enough, it made her look elegant, even with the assorted hair pins, of which one of them was in the shape of a slightly cartoony skull. Nonetheless, Misami Kuchiki looked as beautiful as always.

Daiki motioned for her to follow, and they slowly started to make their way to the door. Misami had to hug Daiki's arm for support, since both knew that Daiki would have trouble dealing with holding her up himself. Daiki made sure to slow his usually brisk pace, since he both had longer legs and Misami was in such a weakened state that she was almost hopelessly unstable. They continued on, Soul Reapers of lower ranks bowing in respect as they both passed, towards the Squad Two Barracks. Since they were in Squad Four's area, all they would have to do is take a shortcut through Squad One's area in the very center of the Seireitei to reach Squad Two Barracks on the other side. There was a border between Squad Two and Four, but Squad One tended to have less traffic and prying eyes. They made their way through the area unmolested by the members of Squad One.

Though, almost immediately after Daiki and Misami arrived in the areas owned by Squad Two a welcome party appeared out of Flash Step. There were four normal squad members, complete with ninja-like Shihakushos and balaclavas covering their faces save for their eyes. But they were flanking a man that was completely unlike them, two on either side, whom was eating from a bag full of strange cookie-like pastries. He looked to be over three hundred pounds, wearing the standard Shihakusho with a large purple collar and expensive jewelry. He head full lips, small eyes, and his receding hair was styled into a sort of strange cone-like hair-do. He had an arrogant air about him, like he owned everything for some reason that he thought everyone knew, as his eyes meet where he guessed Daiki's were under the shadows of his hood. Not finding any response, he looked at Misami, who was had an expression as ice cold as her eyes were.

"Well, then," Lieutenant Omaeda said, turning around to enter through the giant doors that lead to the Second Squads barracks, "Let's get you chums to go see the Captain."

Daiki glanced at Misami, saying under his breath for only her to hear, "Calling a Kuchiki 'Chum'? Are you okay with that?"

Misami had a glint in her eyes as she returned his gaze for a split second, "I've never really cared about it, but I doubt he's going to be in his position much longer anyway."

Daiki didn't take the bait as to what she meant, easily able to guess himself, and lead the Kuchiki on in through the doors. The four escorts that the Lieutenant had brought along took up positions at Daiki's and Misami's right and left to make a square, as if they were guarding a prisoner. As if Misami would suddenly gain all her strength back and take them all out. Daiki laughed at that thought mentally, while he silently followed their lead, thinking of how Misami could easily take out the four squad members, the Lieutenant, and himself if she wanted to at full strength. She probably could do it without breaking a sweat, especially with her greatly improved Shikai.

"Halt," The Lieutenant said, holding up a palm to convey the command.

Despite his tone of voice, laced with that same arrogance that Daiki found appalling, Daiki obliged only because the man was of superior rank to all present.

"Nature calls!" The massive man said, seeming to sweat more profusely then Daiki thought possible, as he ran off to a nearby building.

Misami and Daiki looked at each other for a split second, exchanging glances that conveyed their disbelief at how this man acted despite his position in the Squad. But, with another look, they both agreed to remain silent and stoic. The four squad members of their escort stood at attention where they had been told to halt, unmoving and patient as an assassin should be. The air in the Second Squad was nice and quiet compared to most of the Seireitei, mostly due to the fact that almost everyone in this Squad tended to be quieter then normal people's standards. Sure, there was the occasional groups of squad members that were on their break and relaxing in the barracks.

The Lieutenant emerged from the small building, a relieved look on his face as he dug another pastry out of the bag in his hands, "What're you all standing around for? The Captain's gonna have my head if we aren't on time."

And with that, they continued on, Misami sweat-dropping.

* * *

My legs hurt from my not using them for a week, as I silently cursed myself for having been out for so long. I tightened my grip on Daiki's arm, practically trusting my entire weight to the man until my strength returned. I at least wasn't chained to a bed without any way of defending myself. Though, the way that I wore my scabbards made the hilt of the sword I wore at my waist was digging into Daiki's side. Daiki didn't seem to notice as we kept on walking through the barracks. When I looked around as we had entered, following behind the rather characteristic Lieutenant of the Stealth Force, I couldn't help but that this place was going to be where Daiki would be spending most of his day. He would fit right in, his reputation proceeding him, of course, since he was extremely similar to all these Soul Reapers. They all were seeming to observe both of us while we walked, thankfully without a knowing look in their eyes that would suggest that they thought we were dating. Everyone in the squad for that matter, save for the Lieutenant, seemed to have a very objective way about them and seemed reluctant to just to conclusions on a whim. So very unlike the rest of the Seireitei population as a whole.

"Just a little farther now, guys!" The Lieutenant said, "And don't worry about the rooms! Thanks to me, of course, they are all heated and air conditioned. The doors are even automatic!"

"Is he...bragging?" I asked under my breath, looking up at Daiki.

Daiki sighed, shaking his head discretely, "Yes, yes he is."

We walked patiently behind the Lieutenant as he began to ramble on about how he had obtained is wealth, what he did with that money, how his jewelry was handmade by him. He even went as far as to invite Daiki, for the obscene reason of his upbringing in the Rukkon, to his mansion on the grounds that he had "Must have never seen the inside of a mansion before." Daiki, as stone cold as they come, didn't seem all that phased at the unintentional low blow. Eventually, and with no shortage of grief, we had finally arrived at the place were I was going to be questioned.

Upon the knock from the Lieutenant, and his announcing of whom wanted entrance, I heard Captain Soi Fon's commanding tone sound through the thin door, "Enter."

We obliged, walking quietly into the room while the Lieutenant seemed to reluctantly wait at the door before changing his mind and following us. The Captain stood behind a simple wooden chair that had a table between it and another chair of the same construction. It was pretty straight forward, with my sitting in one chair while I got interrogated by the leader of the Punishment Force. Daiki, of course, wouldn't be allowed to speak or interfere with the stern woman's methods or what questions she could ask. The Lieutenant would mostly be forgotten for the time being. That was what my mind had decided without my knowing as I walked into the room.

Daiki lead me over to the chair, and set me down gently on the wood of the simple furniture piece. Then he took a step back, standing at a relaxed form of attention to my right and just behind me, like he was my bodyguard. Soi Fon didn't sit down, instead slamming both of her hands onto the table.

"Misami Tsukino Kuchiki, the prized child prodigy with the record for the shortest time spent at the Academy with only a semester under her belt," The Captain began, looking straight into my stone cold expression, "And even though you had so little time in those classes, you were still in the top two or three of the class in every subject that you studied. You were trained, in particular, by Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, and even Yoruichi Shihoin, all of which are well known and powerful Soul Reapers. So tell me, why is that? How does someone that we don't even have records of before her entrance into the Academy, suddenly appear and surpass the majority of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads with almost none of the training that was required for those to even graduate?"

I looked at her, and gave a small shrug, "I'm a prodigy? Isn't that by definition the answer to your question, Captain?"

An eye twitch, only visible to me since I was used to reading people skilled at hiding their emotions, told me she was irritated with my attitude, "And how does one get adopted into the Kuchiki Clan with how you seem to act?"

I decided to let my instincts take over, and let my features harden even further from their usual cold glare into the emotionless "Kuchiki Mask", "If by attitude you meant answering your question, then that exactly is how I did so."

"Did I strike a nerve _Third Seat _Kuchiki," She said, hitting my rank with a tome oozing sarcasm to let me know the difference in our authorities, "Or is it that Hollow inside you that's making you act that way? You could at least show me a little emotion."

I simply looked at her, my features unmoving, "Quite frankly, if my Hollow side had any sort of control, this area would be leveled."

"Oh?" Soi Fon said, a smirk playing at her lips under venomous eyes.

I glanced at Daiki and then back at Soi Fon, "How much of the report that he brought to you did you read?"

"Him?" She pointed at Daiki, then looked at me, "All of it, of course. What are you getting at, Kuchiki?"

I sighed and looked at her straightly, "I'm going to be honest with you then, Captain Soi Fon. I grew up in the Rukkon, South 78th district, the same district as Rukia, my adopted sister. In the time that I lived there, I made very few friends and lived with a small group of delinquents no older then the physical age of twelve. When those 'friends' died, I had to do everything myself to survive. You know how hard that is, you can ask about any one that grew up in the outer districts that, so I'll spare you the things that I had to do to just see the next day. No one can go through that unscathed, so I've learned very important things because of that. My point in telling you this is to let you know baiting me into getting angry, therefore somehow bringing out my Hollow side for whatever reason you've cooked up, isn't going to work. If you wish to assure yourself that I won't be a threat to the Seireitei, or to you, then find some other method."

She glared at me, "And what would you suggest?"

"These seals have done their job well, I suppose," I said, rubbing my right wrist in the embrace of my left hand, "Maybe ask Captain Kurosutchi or Kisuke to make a similar version to them that can be activated at will? It worked for Takeshi, someone that deserves your concern and caution far more then I do."

Soi Fon sat down, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on a closed fist, "I see. And how about you answer some questions about your Hollow?"

"I don't see why not," I said in monotone.

"How does it...activate?" Soi Fon asked, searching for a term.

"I don't know," I said, "It has only happened when I've gotten so angry that I can't think straight. To be quite honest, aside from the times that it happened while Aizen was experimenting on me, I've only 'activated' it seven times in the millennia and a half since then."

"Why is that?" Soi Fon asked.

"Because nothing really has made me mad enough to activate it," I said, rubbing my chin as I tried to remember the few times when I had used the powers within me, "The first, sixth, and seventh times were due to the way my enemies were acting, which reminded my of the Hollows that had chased me out of Hueco Muendo when I had escaped. The rest were when I had been captured by a gang of traffickers, and the way they treated me and the other slaves made me angry enough to activate it. Every time I've ever used this power, aside from the two most recent uses against the Vasto Lorde, I've killed every single enemy in my path."

"So you admit to being a murderer?" Soi Fon barely contained a shark like grin.

I gave a small shake of my head, "I, personally, am not a murderer. _I _haven't killed anyone, and haven't had the need to. However, the Hollow essence inside me is a different story. When it forced itself into my soul, and combined with it, it created an alternate personality within me. From the looks that I've witnessed people use while I'm in that alternate state, I'd say that that personality looks like an angry psychopathic serial killer. So I admit that the Hollow essence in me has murdered in the past. Too many times for me to count actually."

"So to re-cap," Soi Fon said, the smirk returning, "Is that despite this ice cold persona that you insist is a front, you actually are a cold blooded kill deep down inside. Well, I suppose it's a good thing that you were adopted into the Kuchikis. It's only because of the self control that their known for that I'm gong to trust that you can handle your emotions well enough to keep that Hollow under wraps."

"I'll take that as a compliment to the Kuchiki Clan," I said, my face still stoic.

"Alright then," Soi Fon said, "Well, there is another form of business that needs handling. Since Daiki's your makeshift escort, you'll have to come with us as we handle it. If that's alright with you."

I shook my head, the smallest of smiles tugging at my lips, throwing the stern faced Captain off, "That's fine with me, Captain. Daiki, shall we?"

Daiki took two steps forwards and took my hand silently. Feeling a slight increase in strength, as well as a sudden pang of laziness, I stood up and hopped onto his back before he could see it coming. Now riding piggy-back, and quite comfortably I might add, Daiki sighed in defeat and motioned to the Captain that we were ready to go before he supported my weight by holding my legs at the thighs. I moved my arms around his neck and rested my head on his broad shoulders, smiling at how comfortable I was, almost enough to sleep. My cheeks flushed, as I noticed how close he and I were to each other, but I knew my scarf hid the blush from sight so I shrugged the feeling off and let myself enjoy the feeling of being carried. I closed my eyes, resting as I sensed us moving towards the sparring area for Squad Two, no matter how much I wanted to just go to sleep at that moment.

_So this is what it's like to have a boyfriend, _I thought, unable to contain a giggle as I did.

"What?" Daiki said, his tone of voice telling me that his eye brow was cock in confusion under the shadows cast by his hood, "What're you laughing at."

I blushed, thanking God for the fact no one could see, as I shook my head against his shoulder, "Nothing. So you ready for this?"

"For what?" Daiki asked, looking forwards as we entered the sparring area.

"Don't tell me you haven't guessed it yet," I said, sounding as tired as I felt, my voice distant as I yawned, "Captain Soi Fon is gonna have you and that huge Lieutenant fight for the right to be her Lieutenant."

"That's what you think will happen?" Daiki asked.

I yawned again, rubbing away a tear from my watery eyes, "I bet you a meal if I'm right...I'm gonna go to sweep now..."

And that's exactly what I did, slipping into a world of dreams.

* * *

"You can't just sleep here, Misami," Daiki said, shaking his head and looking over his shoulder at her, "We're in the middle of...Oh, she already did."

"...Stay away...I'm not selling any of my...Chappies to you..." Misami said as she slept.

"How adorable," Daiki said, rolling his eyes at his, for all intensive purposes, best and only friend.

He followed Captain Soi Fon and her Lieutenant into the sparring grounds of Squad Two, which he knew was probably going to end up being his second home, thinking of what Misami had said before she had fell asleep. He had considered the possibility, due to Soi Fon's persistence with asking him to join the squad as well as the terms she readily agreed on when they negotiated on the way to tell Captain Unohana to restrain Misami. But he was too humble in spirit to think that he warranted such a promotion. Then again, with Daiki appearing in the books of the Seireitei, with stealth, speed, and technique far above the average, and almost acting as a freelance assassin for whatever Squad he joined, it was an obvious thought. Then there was the supposed incompetence of the current Lieutenant, with his idea of money and power being more important than that of functionality, practicality, and efficiency, on top of those facts. When Daiki thought about all that, he realized where Misami had come from.

Daiki blinked, looking over his shoulder at the sleeping face of the prodigy Soul Reaper. Just when did she figure it out? How long had it been since she came to the same conclusion. By the way that she talked about it, even half asleep, suggested that it had been a while. Daiki couldn't help but smile slightly under his black scarf at the fact that the girl he was carrying on his back, whose hair was as white as the medical kimono she wore. Powerful, smart, and beautiful, it was no wonder the Seireitei always had at least a few people talking about her. Daiki was just happy that the attention she was getting was at least partially adoration, and not completely about the strength of her skills. Daiki, on the other hand, knew his reputation was that of the mysterious Soul Reaper that came from nowhere, and left without a trace, and people just feared him because he was an unknown.

Suddenly, Soi Fon stopped in the middle of the sparring grounds, shaking Daiki from his train of thought as he and the Lieutenant stopped and looked to her patiently. She barked a few abrupt commands to those that were utilizing the space and they all cleared the area. Taking this opportunity, Daiki Flash Stepped with Misami to a nearby bench that would still be within his line of sight during the match that was sure to come, and gently lowered her onto it. Slowly moving her arms away from his neck, Daiki moved her limp body into a laying position. Then he flicked back his hood and unraveled his scarf from around his neck. Folding the scarf into a neat square big enough, he slipped the tattered, yet still soft in its own strange way, scarf under Misami's head. He he left his hood down and Flashed back to the Captain and Lieutenant.

He instantly saw a reaction from both of them. Had he actually cared, he would have found it amusing to see the shocked expressions the both of them wore when they saw the look in his eyes. The cobalt blue irises that he called his own had killer intent personified in them, windows to a soul that had been plagued with almost complete nothingness. His default expression of menace and anger tended to do that to people when they saw that look for the first time, but he thought that the Captain of Squad Two would have been unaffected by this. Not that he cared if he was wrong about that. Daiki, in keeping with his childhood in the Rukkon, only wished to get the job before him done as quickly as possible, so worrying about what others thought of him was never one of his concerns.

Soi Fon cleared her throat, quickly gaining back her composure, "You two are going to be fighting for the right to be my Lieutenant. The fight will go either to third blood, or until one of you concedes. I highly, _highly _suggest that you don't choose the last one, or I might just kill you myself for cowardice."

"B-b-but Captain!" Lieutenant Omaeda said, stuttering as he tried not to look Daiki's way, "Why didn't you tell be about this?"

"A member of my Squad should be ready for a challenge at any time, so notifying you now or beforehand shouldn't be the issue," She said, turning and taking a few steps forward to give the two of them room, "If you're worthy of your position, then prove it."

"Are we allowed to use Kido and our Zanpakuto?" Daiki asked, raising his gruff voice to be heard.

Soi Fon nodded, "I don't see why not. You are also allowed permission to use your Shikai."

"No Bankai, then?" Daiki prodded.

Soi Fon blinked, "Are you saying that you have a Bankai?"

Daiki simply nodded, his hand drawing up to the hilt of his sword. He wore his sword across his back, but instead of the hilt looming over his shoulder, like Ichigo or Captain Hitsugaya, the bottom of the sheath was up and the top was jutting out at his right hip and pointing at the ground. His Shihakusho was modified so that the sleeves and trousers were much more form fitting than that of the average Soul Reaper uniform. They resembled more of the western culture then that of a kimono, and didn't get in the way of Daiki's movements as much of the standard had. The were also much harder to grab in hand to hand combat. There was a small leather belt that he had strapped on the outside of his sleeve at the middle of his upper arm on his right arm to keep the end of the sleeve from reaching too far over his hand and inhibiting his sword arm. His trousers were both much less baggier than the average, but he also wore the same foot wear as the Punishment Force: Jika-Tabi with bands that wrapped around his shins and calves. Usually he had his scarf's tails trailing behind him, much like Misami's but shorter, but that was currently being used as a pillow for the white haired girl.

"Well, then," Soi Fon said, "Are you both ready?"

Daiki nodded, slowly unsheathing his Zanpakuto.

Lieutenant Omaeda had other thoughts, his hands waving frantically as he sweat nervously, "W-Wa-Wait, Captain-!"

Soi Fon, of course, ignored his pleas, "Begin!"


	18. A Lieutenant Falls, Rise of the Arrancar

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay everyone, I had some major writer's block for a week almost. Then on top of that, I could barely find the time to write. So, without further a due, here is the next chapter of Prodigy!**

**Thank you, Phoenyx634, for reviewing! Hey, I'm grateful for each and every one of the reviews my stories get, and they motivate me immensely every time I find a new one. That said, huge shout out to you for reviewing three times in a row! My responses for each of your reviews, in the order of first posted to most recent, are as follows: 1) Thanks! I'm glad that you think both that Misami is a cute character and that you like the way my story was written! 2) I'm happy that you could easily visualize those action sequences! I had to work really hard on them to ensure that they were acceptable in terms of standards of imagery! 3) That is true, haha! It probably is the fact that she has white hair that people may or may not think that she is related to either of the Captains that you mentioned. I'm happy to hear that you though the sword was cool! Hope that you enjoy the story! Thank you so much for your support, and I eagerly await your next review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Bleach, only the story, ideas, plot, and my many OCs. **

Takeshi swung his sword, the steel drawing an arc through the Reishi laced air towards the head of his opponent. Kenpachi easily blocked the strike with his own sword, which was practically serrated with all the chips in it. Both of them were laughing manically as if they were having the best time of their lives, as blood from both parties colored the grounds on which they fought. Almost everyone in the area had cleared, save for Ichigo and Yachiru, due to the overwhelming power of the both of the fighters as their swords clashed. Whenever one or the other missed, the air displaced by their swings would slice into the ground or into buildings, and they caused shock waves when the blows were parried. The two of them had been fighting for the better part of half an hour, somewhere along the line Kenpachi had taken off his eye patch and Ichigo had released on of the remaining seals with his key.

"Kenny looks like he's having a blast!" The tween-aged Yachiru exclaimed excitedly, "It's been a while since that's happened, huh, Ichi?"

Ichigo nodded, tugging at the hem of his sleeveless Captain's Haori to adjust it, "Same goes for Takeshi. I think we're going to be here for a while..."

"As long as Kenny's happy, I'm happy!" Yachiru grinned.

"And I can't leave Takeshi alone, so I'm stuck here," Ichigo said, sighing as he scratched his head.

Another clash, another shock wave resounded through the area of Squad Eleven as the two of them continued their battle. Ichigo and Yachiru were sitting on the roof of a nearby building. Ichigo was laying down on the center line were the two sides of the roof met at a point, his fingers laced behind his head. It had been a long day of paperwork and training the squad, and it was only just getting to be afternoon. Though, now that he was finished with all that work, he was grateful that it was such a nice day outside. The breeze felt good on his skin, and he took a deep breath to try and relax. But he couldn't just go to sleep like he wanted to. One of the reasons being the incredibly disruptive and noisy fight between the two powerful beings in terms of raw spiritual pressure. The other reason was that Yachiru was currently using his lean muscled abs as a seat. Though she was as light as one could think possible for a girl her physical age, it still made it harder to breath easily.

Ichigo turned his head to watch the fight between Kenpachi and Takeshi, finding the fight very enjoyable to watch since the two of them were so strong. Takeshi swung his sword towards the right, the sunlight glinting off the blade as it once again raced for the body of the Squad Eleven Captain. Kenpachi grinned blocking the strike with his own blade, forcing them into a deadlock. Both fighters flared their massive spiritual pressures, the fight morphing temporarily into a battle of raw strength to see which of them had more energy to use. Takeshi slowly started to get the upper hand, almost getting to the point that he had an opportunity to knock Kenpachi off balance. But the Captain of the Eleventh had other plans, his massive pillar of yellow spiritual pressure piercing the sky as he went all out to turn the tables. Caught off guard before he could reciprocate the mans move, Takeshi was knocked back into a nearby storage building.

Rubble and dust spilled out of the new hole that was made by the Arrancar. Kenpachi grinned, as he slashed the air with his blade to get rid of the blood that had accumulated on it. Takeshi rose out of the building, his sword gripped in his hand as he charged towards the tall man. Blade met blade once again, sparks lighting up what little space remained between them. The impact caused both blades to bounce back, and both fighters used that to prepare for their next strike. But Takeshi batted Kenpachi horizontal strike down, jumping up over the blade and then slashing Kenpachi's chest.

"Good!" Kenpachi laughed maniacally, "Looks like I can go all out with you after all, Arrancar!"

Takeshi grinned, "Took you long enough!"

Kenpachi then proceeded to take off his eye patch. A yellow pillar of spiritual pressure erupted into the sky. Ichigo, thankfully having been used to this release of power, was largely unaffected and continued to try and take it easy. Yachiru, since she was around Kenpachi so much, had a similar tolerance and continued cheering Kenpachi on as she had before. Takeshi, with this being the first time meeting, fighting, and seeing Kenpachi and his power, was noticeably surprised. Though that look was soon replaced with a shark-like grin as he chuckled.

"Finally, a _real _opponent!" Takeshi said.

"Bring it on, Hollow!"

And they clashed again, the sounds of metal clanging against metal ringing through the air. Waves of spiritual pressure from the fight could be felt for miles. The two powerful fighters slashed and stuck again and again, for the entirety of ten minutes they didn't stop. Yachiru was smiling the entire time, pumping her tween sized-fist into the air as the fought. Buildings crumbled, the ground cracked when one of them blocked an overhead strike, and air became dense with their respective spiritual pressures of yellow and red. Ichigo couldn't help but notice that both of them were having a blast. Both were grinning, sometimes laughing as sparks flew around them and the rubble from the collapsed buildings shifted from the powerful winds caused by their battle. The orange haired Squad Five Captain groaned, giving up on relaxing any longer as the battle dragged on, as he sat up next to the still excited Yachiru. Seated Officers of his Squad, braving the torrent of spiritual pressure from the fight, appeared next to him soon after.

"Sir! The other Squads are wanting to know what's going on?!" One of the two said, her blue-highlighted blonde hair whipping about in the winds.

Ichigo shrugged, "They're letting off some steam is all. Tell everyone that there's nothing to worry about."

"Yes, sir," The girl said.

"Has either of you seen the Lieutenant or Nel?" Ichigo asked.

"They were with the Third Seat, but they went back to the Barracks after Squad Two took her to their Barracks for her questioning," The other Seated Officer, a man with a small scar on the right side of his chin and a shock of black hair.

"Okay," Ichigo said, "Alright, thanks, guys."

"Yes, sir," They both said in unison and Flash Stepped away from the fight.

Takeshi fired an unnamed Cero at Kenpachi who easily deflected the beam with his bare hand. Using that attack as a temporary shield to charge in and slash Kenpachi's chest. Blood painted the ground beneath the Squad Eleven Captain, but it didn't stop him from cutting Takeshi's Hollow hide in turn. Blood coating both fighters, neither seemed to notice the pain from their wounds, and continued to slash each other every three or four clashes. By the time five minutes had passed, both were covered in wounds that they must not have realized were there.

Then Takeshi grinned, "D_estroy all in my path, Decimador!_"

The eyes of Kenpachi widened reflexively when the Arrancar revealed his true form. The great sword that Takeshi had wielded against Agramon was in full view in the Soul Society. The Arrancar's spartan-like helmet was completed, the bone of the Hollow mask cloaking his eyes in shadow. The black markings that spread out of his Hollow hole had extended to she shoulders, and he had gained a good foot in height. His spiritual pressure, though dampened by two of the three seals that the Central 46 had put on him, was still higher then that of a Lieutenant. The great sword of his release for was made of the same material as the toughest skin of the Vasto Lorde or Arrancar.

"_Now _we're talkin'!" Kenpachi roared, his eyes alight with excitement.

Takeshi wasted no time and continued the fight with the Squad Eleven Captain. With great strikes Takeshi slammed his sword into Kenpachi's defense. He drove the strong captain back one step at a time until they were at the extent of the little arena that they had agreed upon. Flaring his spiritual pressure, Kenpachi shoved off Takeshi's relentless assault just before his back was pressed against the wall. He couldn't be fazed, pushing off the ground with a spiritual pressure-imbued jump and soared into the air. Takeshi, since there was a could of dust from that jump, didn't see the attack until it was all he could do to reflexively block the attack. He bent his knees to absorb the impact of the blade, torquing his wrist to bring the broad cross section of his Hollow bone great sword to bare. Sparks flew once again, lighting up the clouded area. The shock wave from the clashing of their swords wiped away that smoke in the blink of and eye. Ichigo instinctively blocked the incoming grit with a forearm, but his spiritual pressure kept the grains of dust from reaching his body. Only because he himself could fight at the speed they were going, Ichigo could track the movements of the pair as they fought.

They broke apart, then surged back towards each other with swords at the ready the instant their feet touched the ground. The strong shock waves that were created by their clashes resumed soon after that. Squad members from around the barracks had been congregating for a while now, and there already was a decent sized crowd. From where Ichigo sat on the roof of a nearby building, he could see the way the atmosphere around the two of them thickened as they landed blows. The way they both fought was similar, relying on their overwhelming power to take damage over and over again, but still have the energy to fight on. The reasons they both fought like this was similar as well, that being that they both fought for the sake of fighting and its enjoyments. It was because of these two facts Ichigo watched them fight for another ten minutes before he thought to himself.

_When is this going to end?_

* * *

I Sat up on the bench, wondering were the familiar scarf that was my pillow came from. The white kimono was slightly wrinkled from my sleep, but it didn't feel like I had been sleeping that long. The medical bindings were still tight around my midriff, but I could still feel the difference in how my my wounds felt compared to the rest of my skin. I sighed knowing that another scar would mar by body, and make me that much more different than everyone else. One thing that struck my mind after that thought was the location of where I was. I remembered leaving the Squad Four Barracks, pitifully clinging to the sleeve of Daiki's Shihakusho for support since I didn't have any strength to call my own. Then we went to Squad Two for their Captain to "question" me about my newly rediscovered Hollow essence. And now we were in the sparring grounds for that same Squad.

My swords had been taken off of my person and were now leaning on the outside of the left arm rest. The tassels on the pommels of the swords sways at the slightest breeze, the white markings of the scabbards shined in the light. Those markings were like a strange version of Japanese characters, seeming to be of an ancient language that was long forgotten. The rest of the scabbard was as black as Daiki's own sheath. The white wrappings of the hilts were shining just as much as the markings. I looked down at where my hands rested in my lap. My palms had been calloused and stained with blood and grit. My white skin was a couple shades darker due to the dirt that had given it that tan. Thanks to my mind having had so many flashbacks in such a short amount of time, the image of that dirtied palm and the clean, almost doll-like appearance of the one before my eyes traded places in my vision. The white kimono I was wearing made me feel as tough I stood out, like the patient I was. Though I had no real proof of it, I could almost feel the eyes of the Squad Two members on me.

_What's that noise? _I thought to myself as I heard a strange gagging sound.

I blinked, suddenly out of my haze of waking, and saw something that I could only describe as comical.

Daiki, his scarf on the bench instead of covering his lower face, was standing before the Lieutenant of Squad two with his hand on the hilt of his blade. The standard katana shaped Zanpakuto was about two or three inches shorter then the average length. Its grip was unsurprisingly black, but so was the guard and the blade as well. The blade had been customized so that it wouldn't catch glints from the sun and give away his position. Along with the fact that his entire Shihakusho was black, and made to not make a sound when he moved, as well as the hood and the scarf he wore, it was no wonder that the man could sneak through the entire palace of Las Noches undetected by any Hollow.

"C-Captain!" Lieutenant Omaeda exclaimed, "Y-You can't be serious about this!"

"I am," Soi Fon said, crossing her arms over her chest, "Now let me repeat myself: You two will fight for the right to be my Lieutenant. It will go to third blood, and the winner with be my Lieutenant and the loser will be, at best, the Third Seat."

"Understood," Daiki said.

"W-W-Wait!"

"If there are no further delays, begin!"

Daiki slowly drew out his blade from behind his back, his mouth showing a neutral expression, as Omaeda continued to plead with the stern faced Captain of the Punishment Force. I watched from the bench, feeling sort of sad at my current situation. Normally, when I watched fights between two Soul Reapers, I was either as powerful or more powerful then either of the two opponents. I always seemed to watch those fights as though from a pedestal, safe in the knowledge that I was stronger then those that were fighting and I could stop it if I wanted to. But, with me now basically reduced to a weak and frail noble who couldn't even walk under her own power, that was no longer the case. A strange sense of powerlessness washed over me for a second, then went away. I looked at the seals on my wrists, the skin that had been rubbed raw treated with ointment, and blamed them for my weakened state. It was because these things were on my wrists, draining any new power I generated and keeping me weak that I was this way.

A sound, not unlike a punching bag being struck, reached me from where Lieutenant Omaeda and Daiki were. Daiki was crouched low, his right knee bent at a ninety degree angle with his left fully extended out. Both of his hands were on the hilt of his sword, which he held in a reverse grip, and seemed to have been used to drive the pommel of the blackened blade into Omaeda's gut. Saliva spewed out of the mans mouth as the breath was knocked out of him from the blow. Then, in that next instant, Daiki had vanished in a burst of Flash Step. I blinked, unable to follow the man's terrifying quick movements, swinging my head from side to side in an attempt to find him. I found him about two seconds later. Or rather, two of him.

A Flash Step clone appeared before Omaeda, and one behind. One of them was the real Daiki, and the other was the clone. The two of them simultaneously held out their sword arms parallel to the ground. As they did so, they flicked their wrists, spinning the hilt of the blade clockwise in their palms and gripping it the instant the blade was in line with their arms. The two Daiki's footsteps were silent, save for the almost indiscernible sound of the grit under their soles crunching ever so slightly. Soi Fon, whom had been watching from where she stood disappeared and reappeared next to me in that same instant.

Masking my confusion as to why she wanted to stand there instead of where she was, I spoke in an even tone and faced her with a neutral expression, "Captain."

"Third Seat," She said, her commanding tone making it sound as if she sneered the words.

"When did you decide to hold this...duel?" I asked, keeping with the aforementioned 'noble observer' persona, "Surely you didn't just think of this at the last minute."

"Why should I answer you?" Soi Fon said, her voice a dangerous neutral like my own, "You kept your little secret from us for centuries."

I sighed, "I didn't try to hide anything, Captain Soi Fon. Where is this coming from, in any case?"

"What do you mean, Kuchiki?" Soi Fon asked, as we watched Omaeda finally draw his Zanpakuto and charge towards one of the two oncoming Daikis.

"I mean, why are you questioning my credibility so readily with the knowledge of who, or rather, _what _I am?" I asked, using my eloquent language to disguise my growing irritation at what seemed to be prejudice.

"..." Soi Fon seemed to bid her time in her choice of words, "I've been keeping an eye towards both you and Daiki."

"Oh?" I inquired, watching passively as Daiki, the real one, struck out of no where on Omaeda's left flank.

"Yes," Soi Fon said, then looked over to me, "I assume that you want an explanation?"

I nodded, watching as Omaeda twisted just in time to deflect the blow, "Of course. Wouldn't you?"

Soi Fon cleared her throat, "Well. When you-"

I suddenly lifted my hand in an elegant motion that only came with being in a noble clan for five centuries, interrupting the Captain of Squad Two soundlessly, "Sit, Captain Soi Fon."

"What?" The Soul Reaper in question blinked in confusion for a heartbeat, as if she didn't hear me right.

"I said sit," I repeated, "I'd hate for you to have to reiterate the past five centuries that you've known of me while standing."

"That's...alright, I've done worse," Soi Fon looked at me suspiciously.

"As a member of the Kuchiki Clan, I insist," I said, using some of the rare strength I had to scoot over in the small bench and patting the place next to me, "I won't bite."

Soi Fon, after letting a low chuckle at my joke, relented and sat where I designated.

"Better?" I said, looking over to her for an instant before turning my attention back to the fight in front of me.

Soi Fon looked at me. She looked at how, despite any effort on my part, I was sitting in a rigid posture with my hands resting in my lap with one on top of the other and my legs together in line with my body. A breeze gently wafted through the sparring grounds, blowing my hair with it to my left. It ruffled my white kimono slightly, the soft material of the cloth making the sound not unlike that of a flag in the wind. The cool air felt good against my skin, while I watched the two members of Squad Two fight for the position of Lieutenant.

Soi Fon cleared her throat again, "Anyway. When I heard of how quickly you graduated the Academy, I grew suspicious."

"Oh, really?" I said, "Why is that?"

"You didn't show up in any of the records before showing up to the Academy," Soi Fon said, the clang of Daiki's and Omaeda's blades colliding sounding just as she finished the sentence, "And then you graduate in the top three, on par with someone like Ichigo Kurosaki, within a _semester. _I'm not sure you're aware, but that's half the time it took Captain Hitsugaya to graduate."

"I'm flattered," I said, seeing Daiki disappear once again and drive the pommel of his sword into the nape of the massive man's neck,

"When you were captured by the former Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen, I was as surprised as everyone else at his betrayal," The Squad Two Captain said, "But I was even more suspicious when you came back with the Vasto Lorde, Takeshi."

"So you thought that I had somehow planned to bring a Vasto Lorde into the Soul Society?" I inquired, continuing to watch the match.

"Yes. So you can see why I felt the need to make sure that my accusations were false when I heard from Daiki that you were actually part Hollow, yourself," She nodded once, some of her words slightly muffled by the grunts of effort provided by Omaeda.

Daiki appeared behind Omaeda, lashing out with his sword in two quick and concise strikes before disappearing into a Flash Step. He reappeared to the heavy-set Lieutenant's front right flank and repeated the process. Omaeda, able to catch the blows one after the other, was tiring slowly but surely at eh relentless onslaught of attacks from the hooded Soul Reaper. But at the next repetition of this strategy, he suddenly had four other Flash Step Clones coming in from all sides. Omaeda's eyes widened at the increase in attackers, and frantically looked to each of them to try and find a way out of the situation.

"Bakudo No. 21: Sekienton!" Omaeda yelled, crouching and slamming both of his palms onto the ground.

From those palms red smoke exploded and coated the area after a bright flash of light of the same cover. The clones of Daiki continued forward and into the cloud. Omaeda appeared out of a Flash Step about ten meters to my right of the Bakudo's effective range of concealment. He looked around the grounds, trying to find his opponent. But he didn't seem to find the Soul Reaper in question. Just then, a dark figure started to be revealed in the smoke. It was crouching down, holding a shortened sword out from its body as if in the position of a finishing move.

As if to exemplify his point, only when Daiki's hooded head could be seen through the smoke of the Bakudo did the cut he put on Omaeda's body open. The fabric that had gotten in its way was sliced as well, and crimson blood gushed out and stained it and the ground of the sparring grounds. Omaeda's eyes widened, both in pain and in panic. He was clearly freaked out by this display of sword and speed. The ground around Daiki kicked up, the dust rising in a tight circle around his body that cloaked him in dust and only afforded my eyes the silhouette of the hooded Soul Reaper. Then that outline vanished, the sound of Flash Step accompanying the action. Omaeda frantically looked around, trying to spot his opponent before he could deliver the final blow. Daiki had already, through some miraculous swordsmanship, gotten two cuts on Omaeda's body. This meant that, according to the rules of 'third blood' that Captain Soi Fon had established, one more cut that drew blood from the heavier Lieutenant would mean the end of the match with Daiki as the victor.

Then instant Daiki reappeared in his vision, Omaeda launched his over-sized spiked ball Shikai into the Soul Reaper. Only, as if it were a mirage, the weapon passed right through the Flash Step clone's body as the image disappeared. The spiked ball smashed into the ground, creating a smaller cloud of dust and a loud sound rolled over the sparring grounds. Omaeda looked around the grounds again, throwing his Shikai into the Flash Step clones as they appeared. Over and over again he threw the spiked ball into those clones until he started to pant.

Soi Fon seemed to be analyzing Daiki's every move, clearly able to see the movements of the hooded Lieutenant while I couldn't, "Interesting."

"What can you see?" I asked, still watching the Lieutenant look frantically from side to side and striking down the Flash Step clones.

"You can't see him while he's in Flash Step?" Soi Fon actually looked at me sideways, an astonished look on her face.

I sighed, holding up my wrist to display the seal wrapped around it, "These won't let me, Captain."

"Oh," She sighed, then looked back to the fight, "Well he's using Flash Step to create clones, but his actual body's been in the same place for a little while now."

"Really?" I asked, "Where?"

Soi Fon pointed to a slightly flickering figure in the shadows of a the wall that was on the edge of the training grounds. He was watching from a place that, with all the Flash Step clone attacks and his special attire, hid his form perfectly from his opponent. Every time his image flickered, a new Flash Step clone would appear to attack the Lieutenant of Squad Two. I looked back at Soi Fon, who seemed to be taking mental notes on the hooded Soul Reaper. She was watching him more intently then she was her own Lieutenant, her facial expressions telling me plainly that she was impressed and trying to hide it. She seemed almost relieved that Daiki was displaying his skills, showing the obvious flaws in the Lieutenant's training: The fact that there almost wasn't any. I have seen very, very few Soul Reapers that could retain any body fat with the training that their Squads forced them to participate. Those few examples were the nobles that bought their way into the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Daiki was proving that those that belonged to that category of Soul Reaper shouldn't be able to ascend to the rank of Lieutenant, regardless of talent or proficiency.

Daiki trained relentlessly, never letting a moment pass by to improve his technique unless he was either sleeping or eating. He didn't exactly have the most astonishing strength, but his speed and skills with his blade more then made up for that deficiency. Thanks to the centuries that he had been using to train, his endurance was far above the average. Because of this fact, the fight between Omaeda that was currently happening before my eyes, was exactly the kind of fight that required that endurance. Omaeda was the type that took damage, or ran away from it, instead of being the one to deal the majority of it. Daiki was the type of fighter that had two fighting styles: One being the assassination techniques that were for stealthy instant kills or defeats, and the fast dealing of damage that would overwhelm the enemy if he was caught out in the open in a "fair fight".

I watched as Daiki continued to wither down Omaeda's energy reserves with each throw, wandering when the hooded Soul Reaper would think it was time to attack. I looked down at my hands, and blinked. I had been unknowingly massaging the skin that was around the seals I was still wearing. They itched even though they had been healed and cared for by the Captain of Squad Four. The thin silver bands that were those seals had been on my wrists for over a week, consistently suppressing my spiritual pressure and dampening my senses. Soi Fon, out of the corner of her eye, saw me messing with them and sighed.

"We'll take those off soon," She said, "I plan on doing as you suggested and going to Squad Twelve with those, so they can modify them so we can control them instead of the Hollows."

"How soon will that be?" I asked, daring to let a sliver of hope into my monotonous voice.

She seemed to ponder it for a second before answering, "As soon as an escort is assigned for you, I suppose."

I looked over to her, "I see. And who might this escort be?"

Soi Fon looked over to the fight, just as Daiki's relentless assault, well, relented, "Whichever one of them wins this match."

* * *

Another shock wave blasted through the air of the makeshift arena that Takeshi and Kenpachi were fighting in. The gathering crowd of Squad Eleven members was staying far enough away from the fight so they could actually breathe. This distance turned out to be a good fifteen to twenty meters, since the spiritual pressure between the two of them was so immense. Ichigo and Yachiru had to move to another building, the new one being a taller white structure with a flat roof, since the roof they were watching from had been erased by a stray Cero from the Arrancar.

There were a couple Captains, whom happened to be in the area, that had asked about the match as they passed. Captain Ukitake had commented on hoe lively and predictable the match up was, given both of the combatants' personalities. The Captain of Squad Nine merely shook his head and left, his short white hair marking where he was as he left the area. The two powerful fighters had been going at each other for the past hour at least, and Ichigo was starting to wonder if they were tired at all. Neither were, if appearances could be believed.

Takeshi fired a massive Cero at Kenpachi scorching the forearm the Captain used to guard against it. The Soul Reaper's chipped, practically serrated, blade then cut through the Arrancar's hide in retaliation. Takeshi, grabbing the blade as it sliced into him, pulled Kenpachi closer with a jerk on his sword. As Kenpachi stumbled forward from the unexpected force, couldn't move quite fast enough to block the slice from Takeshi's great sword. After the blade lifted out of his skin from the slash, Kenpachi flared his massive spiritual pressure and forced Takeshi to pull back. The two of them looked at each other and grinned.

"Is that all your new toy toy can do?" Kenpachi's shark-like smile was as wide as Takeshi's great sword.

"Nope," Takeshi said, "You want to see, though?"

Kenpachi's grin faltered, "You meant that you've been holding back on me this entire fight, Hollow?"

A smirk played at the corner of Takeshi's mouth, "I might have."

He was enveloped in his blood red spiritual pressure, the great sword in his hands blanketed in a red-white light. The white silhouette of the broad great sword shifted and changed. The bottom of the blade thinned out where it connected to the hilt, the end forming into a double sided ax. Takeshi looked down at his weapon, smiled, then looked at Kenpachi with a glint in his eyes. Then the Arrancar charged in with his newly morphed weapon, slamming the heavy blade into Kenpachi's defense. The chipped sword of the Soul Reaper stopped the strike, with Kenpachi laughing like a mad man while he beckoned his opponent to go all out. The battle progressed, the massive ax that the Arrancar now wielded making Takeshi's attacks both slower and more powerful. Kenpachi had to increase his strength output in order to maintain his ground in the fight. Ichigo watched with a mix of curiosity and impatience, the former aimed at Takeshi's newly unveiled power and the latter at the fact that the battle was one of the longest fights the carrot top had ever seen.

"Hey, Ichi!" Yachiru grinned, "Isn't this great? Kenny looks so happy!"

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, mainly at the last statement rather then the question, "They've been at it for a long time, though."

"Have you visited Misami yet, Ichi?" Yachiru suddenly asked, her tone strangely serious.

"I tried to, but there was so much work that I had to do," Ichigo said, looking over to the pink haired Lieutenant, "I had to do Rukia's and my paperwork since she wouldn't leave Squad Four."

"She misses you," She said, keeping the seriousness in her voice, though she let loose a toothy grin, "She's awake now, Ichi!"

"Wha-? Where did you hear that, Yachiru?" Ichigo's ever-present scowl lessened in surprise.

The pink haired girl pointed to the crows of Soul Reaper onlookers, "I over heard one of them say it!"

"Where?" Ichigo pressed.

Yachiru giggled, "You know that, Ichi! Don't you remember?"

"I do?" Ichigo's scowl returned with a vengeance.

Yachiru nodded, smiling as she started to giggle again, "Uh huh! You were there when Soi Fon said she would ask her some questions after she woke up or something?"

"Oh," Ichigo made a facial expression that was equivalent to a face palm, then turned over to the ongoing fight, "Hey, Takeshi!"

The Arrancar didn't even glance his way, "What, carrot-top!?"

"Misami's awake!" Ichigo yelled over the roar of another Cero.

Then, after hearing the white haired Kuchiki's name, Takeshi looked over to Ichigo, "Really?"

Ichigo cringed as Kenpachi took advantage of the distraction and sliced deep into the Arrancar's mid-section. Takeshi, seemingly with a renewed sense of vigor and urgency, increased the tempo of the fight immensely. His massive ax shifted in shape to become a katana version made of the same Hollow bone material. He assaulted Kenpachi with a flurry of strikes that seemed to overwhelm the massive Captain, going against both of their natures and trying to end the fight quickly. Kenpachi, though with more effort then before, was easily keeping up with Takeshi's new speed and determination. He blocked and defended, but didn't find any obvious openings to parry or counter attack. Takeshi was silent through the entire ordeal, seeming to became very concentrated on beating the Sol Reaper Captain. Kenpachi started to get slightly annoyed when he noticed this change in the Arrancar's tactics. He tried to taunt him into going back to drawing out the fight, since he himself was having a blast.

Ichigo noticed this as well and called down to the Squad Eleven Captain, "Hey, Kenpachi! I have to take Takeshi somewhere! You're going to have to continue this some other time, alright?"

"Stay outa this, Ichigo!" Kenpachi growled, "This is between me and the Hollow."

"Actually, I agree with the annoying carrot-top," Takeshi said, though not loud enough for Ichigo to hear, "But I promise that I'll fight you again soon."

Kenpachi, hearing the strange sound of urgency in the Arrancar's voice, groaned in irritation, "...Fine. But you better not hold back _at all _next time."

Takeshi grinned, "I wouldn't have it any other way. Later."

Then both Ichigo and Takeshi vanished on their way towards the Squad Two Barracks.

* * *

I rubbed my wrists again, fearing the formation of a habit due to the seals. Soi Fon was watching Daiki like a hawk, while I was keeping tabs one both him and the heavyset Lieutenant, looking at his technique with a very analytical expression. Since I was used to seeing through the masks of emotionless people, I could tell that the Captain of the Punishment Force was rather impressed by the display of the hooded Soul Reaper. Even though she'd criticize him every chance that she could get, the look in her eyes told me that she was just simply putting up an indifferent front with her stern expression. I wanted to point it out, to use my knowledge to let her know what I knew, but I knew that that wouldn't be the mature thing to do.

Daiki was actually on the defensive from the Lieutenant, whom had gained a sort of second wind a few moments or so after Daiki finally went after the final cut to make it to third blood. Omaeda had been able to muster that new-found energy to catch Daiki off guard and counter attack. The massive man actually was able to slice a shallow cut on the quiet Soul Reaper's arm. Daiki was dancing around the Lieutenant, dodging the spiked ball that he threw with renewed vigor. He seemed to be avoiding using his sword to block the attacks, instead side-stepping, rolling and ducking out of the way. I couldn't help but be amazed at what the Soul Reaper could do. From the way that I was watching, the perspective of a regular soul, I could easily see why he had the reputation of the mysterious type.

Without my powers, and my strength, his aura of intimidation reached me and his speed frightened some instinctual part of me. The great difference that was in our strength levels made me weary, only the knowledge that he would never hurt me keeping from being scared off. Aside from that, I felt an overwhelming awe at the scope of Daiki's powers. He had Omaeda hanging by a thread, having the Lieutenant exhausted and desperate, and he still had yet to activate his Shikai. The lower part of his face, namely his chin and mouth, were the only features that I could discern from under his hood. His expression had been unchanging and neutral the entire fight, but the combination of that and the hood made the Soul Reaper actually frightening.

"How long have you known him?" Soi Fon suddenly asked.

"Daiki?" I asked, glancing over to the Captain that sat next to me, "Five hundred years or so? Why do you ask?"

She returned my gaze for a second, then went back to watching the fight, "You are the one that knows him best out of everyone in the Soul Society. I was going to ask you what your opinion of the man is."

I turned my head to face her, something that I hadn't done much of at all since I had been watching the fight, "I don't know. I would have to say that he's an extremely loyal person, though."

"How loyal?" Soi Fon asked.

I looked away then, not trusting my ability to say what I had to with a straight enough face to keep Soi Fon from getting suspicious of Daiki, "I'd rather not get into the specifics that he told me, since he said that they were highly personal. But he kept from rescuing me for a long time in order to complete his job, no matter how much he wanted to save me."

"I see," Soi Fon said, almost to herself as Daiki suddenly had a change of heart.

He appeared from a Flash Step right in front of Omaeda with his blade held in his usual reverse grip. The metal of the blade glinted in the sunlight, the slightly-shorter than-regular-katana blade looking as menacing as its wielder. He was standing in a relaxed posture, one that left him generally exposed to any sort of real attack. Omaeda looked at the hooded Soul Reaper with a confused look at the sudden change in tactics, but soon found no reason to hold back. He threw his spiked Shikai straight towards Daiki with all his might. But the ball never made it to it's target.

Lines formed on the spiked ball, then it separated into fractured parts as if on command. The fragments of the Shikai flew towards Daiki, but sailed harmlessly around him as if it was orchestrated. Omaeda's eyes widened, and his grip on the hilt of his shattered Shikai tightening in desperation. The broken pieces of the spiked ball lay strewn about the ground at Daiki's feet. My eyes widened, the past few minutes of the fight flashing before my memory. Somehow, Daiki must have been slicing into the Shikai in order to weaken it at strategic points. I had missed almost the entirety of that fact, mostly due to the seals on my wrists, and I was now as surprised as Omaeda that that had happened. Soi Fon had a knowing look on her face that told anyone that she had seen that coming, and she was unmoving as Daiki started to walk slowly towards the Lieutenant of Squad Two.

"H-How did you...?" Omaeda was dumbfounded, "Your sword never blocked my Shikai!"

"I did," Daiki said, his tone void of any emotion, "I was just too fast for you to see."

Then Daiki vanished, the next moment appearing before the Lieutenant to slice into the massive man's gut. Omaeda, the knowledge that he had lost his position as Lieutenant cutting deeper than Daiki ever could, fell to the ground in the aftermath of the wound. With that cut, Daiki reached third blood and won the fight with the Lieutenant. I gave the victor a small, delicate smile to congratulate him silently. I looked over to the Captain that was seated next to me, or rather, used to sit next to me. The Captain in question had risen from the bench and was walking over to the two Soul Reapers, something I was rather jealous of. I still didn't have enough strength in my legs, or the balance to stand all that well, so I remained at my seat in the proper noble posture. I rubbed my wrists again, wishing that they would just disappear. I gripped the fabric of my white kimono, clenching my fists to try and keep my mind off of how irritated I actually was at the state I was in.

Thankfully, the three of them where close enough to where I could hear what they were talking about.

"Captain!" Omaeda was whining, "He cheated! There's no way that he could have done that!"

"But he did," Soi Fon stated simply, then turned to Daiki, "Welcome to Squad Two, Lieutenant Daiki."

Daiki bowed in gratitude, remaining silent. Omaeda's mouth was agape, shock written all over the wealthy man's face as I spoke up to be heard, "Excuse me."

"What is it, Kuchiki?" Soi Fon said, eyeing me from where she stood.

"Could we arrange for these to be taken off now that I have a suitable escort?" I said, holding up my hands to bring the seals to bare.

Soi Fon practically sneered and turned to Daiki, "Your first order is to take that noble to Squad Twelve to remove those seals, then to assign her a suitable body guard within a day. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain," Daiki said, turning towards me, "I'll take care of it right away."

"Return to me when you are done," Soi Fon said, "I will have to explain to you the scope of your responsibilities as my Lieutenant."

"Yes, Captain," Daiki responded, bowing and then walking towards me.

I watched Soi Fon and Daiki exchange words from my seat on the bench, rubbing my wrists again as my hands rested in my lap. I was uneasy about what I though of the situation I was in. I was extremely glad that I could get these seals off, but I didn't like the idea that Soi Fon still didn't trust me to be on my own without escort. Daiki seemed tired, something that I could sense in his spiritual pressure despite the seals, and I felt bad for him. Because of me, he had to deal with twice his work load and constantly worry about me. Because of me he was going to have to escort a weak, practically defenseless Soul Reaper to Squad Twelve and then find her an escort, then go through a lecture from the stern faced Captain after all of the fighting and the work he had done. I felt all the more guilty about it when I dwelled on it.

In the time that I was thinking that, Daiki had arrived before me, and had a worried tone to his usually neutral voice, "...Misami? Are you alright?"

When the sound of his voice finally reached my ears, I blinked and looked up at him, "S-Sorry! I just spaced out for a second there."

"Are you alright?" Daiki repeated the question, pressing it in a way that made me what to curl up and a ball and hide.

"I-I'm fine, Daiki..." I said, hanging my head and looking down to where my hands rested in my lap, "Really, I'm okay."

Though I couldn't see his features due to his hood, I could sense that he wasn't all that convinced by my answer, but he dropped the subject when he sensed how I felt about it, "Anyway, I have to take you to Squad Twelve now."

I looked up, nodding, "I know. I heard."

"Then why aren't you happy?" Daiki said, sounding slightly exasperated, "You can finally take off those seals."

I barely registered his words as he picked up my swords and held out his free hand to help me up, "Y-yeah..."

Daiki sighed, taking my hand and pulling my weak, small frame up to its feet, "C'mon, let's hurry."

"Alright," I said, hugging his arm for support as we started towards the neighboring Squad Twelve.

The members of the Squad that Daiki had just been assigned were as quiet as any would expect Soul Reapers wearing ninja-like garbs to be. They were diligently working on their skills, sparring with one another with only the grunts and sharp exhales interrupting their relative silence. My legs felt like lead, yet they were almost numb with how weak they were. I was glad that Daiki had bent his arm at the elbow so that I wouldn't have to hold myself up entirely, since that weakness in my legs was reflected in my arms as well. I had focused my mind on moving forward, grumbling mentally about the long time sitting having made me forgot how weak I was. Daiki gave me a look to convey how worried he was about me, picking up our pace slightly when I gave him a grateful-yet dismissive look in return.

Then I sensed two very familiar spiritual pressures racing towards me. Daiki, having sensed them at the same time as me since he was distracted, turned to face them. We both knew who they belonged to, since there was no mistaking it when I felt them. Remembering something the last minute, I produced Daiki's black tattered scarf from the folds of my white kimono and handed it to the hooded Soul Reaper I was hanging off of. He took it, realizing himself that he hadn't concealed his lower face in all this time, and quickly put it on how I had my own white scarf. As Ichigo and Takeshi closed in to our position, their massive spiritual pressure smothering me, I burrowed my face deep into the folds of my scarf and tightened my grip on Daiki's arm without really registering either of the actions.

"Misami!" Takeshi appeared out of his Sonido and started to race towards me.

"Hey, Takeshi," I said, cringing at how my exhaustion at merely standing near the Arrancar showed, "...S-Slow down!"

As Ichigo appeared out of Flash Step, Takeshi cocked his head, hollow black eyes conflicted at what to do, "Huh? What's wrong with you?"

With the addition to Ichigo to the spiritual pressures pressing into me, I croaked, "I could barely stand without either of you here because of these stupid seals..."

"I swear..." Takeshi grumbled, "I'll beat the crap out of whoever told you you still had to wear those things...I don't care if it's even the old man!"

"Calm down, Takeshi," Ichigo said, looking equally worried at the situations as I sensed him try a shard as he could to restrain his spiritual pressure for my sake, "I don't think that getting angry and making your spiritual pressure to spike is helping the situation."

"Shut up, carrot-top!" The Arrancar growled, the spiritual pressure that he was emitting smothering me all the more.

"...Wh-When did you learn how to make Sonido clones, Takeshi?" I asked, feeling light headed as my vision split to show double of the now very worried Arrancar.

When I lost my grip on Daiki's arm and almost collapsed to the ground, the hooded Soul Reaper caught me while Ichigo yelled at Takeshi, "See?! You'e gonna make her pass out, you idiot!"

Daiki, altogether ignoring the arguing between the two, picked me up bridal style with his right hand supporting my back and his left slipped under my knees. While muttering an apology that I almost didn't hear, the familiar sensation of being ripped through space in a Flash Step that had a speed greater then my own hit me. In the next few moments, I found myself seeing two overlaying images of the buildings of the Twelfth Squad before they merged into one set as my head cleared. A pounding headache had replaced the lightheadedness, as Daiki's face pace caused shock waves to run up his legs and jostle my small frame with every step that he took. I moaned in pain at the sudden onset of the migraine, but Daiki sped up instead of slowing down and made the headache all the more intense. I felt the warmth of the sunlight vanish and a wave of cold wash over me as Daiki entered a climate controlled building of Squad Twelve. I shivered at the sudden, though almost minuscule, temperature difference, my body not really knowing what the heck was going on. I knew that the only reason that the pain and bouts of weakness were only affecting me this much because I let them, but it mattered little in light of how miserable I was. I was hoping that where ever in the Twelfth Squad he was taking me, it was going to end with the seals that were causing all these ailments being removed from my wrists.

"Ah," A creepily familiar voice sounded along with the background noise of keystrokes, "Who do we have here?"

I opened my eyes, having closed them the instant that the headache had worsened, and saw the strange pharaoh-like Captain of Squad Twelve. His eyes looked over me like I was a jewel, but it made my skin crawl because I knew that he only looked at me that way since I was an anomaly within the Soul Society. I knew that the long and the short of this strange man's interest in me was to open me up, just as Aizen had, and see why it was that I was part Hollow, yet still retained a normal appearance void of any visage of Hollow mask or hole. I doubt anyone but Aizen would now what it was that made me into what I was, and the reasons behind it all, but I doubted that anyone wanted to crack open his jail cell and ask him for themselves. I knew that I was at the top of that very, very long list.

Regardless of that, the way that Kurotsuchi had first interacted with me was one of the most unsettling. Though I never told anyone about it, since I knew that at least two idiots, one with a hole in his chest and the other with a shock of spiky orange hair, would probably try to kill the strange Head of the Department of Research and Development. He had appeared-no, oozed- out of a wall in front of me about a week after I had been reassigned to Squad Five. He after looking over me from about ten feet away, had a look in his eyes that told me he knew that there was something different about me. At the time, of course, no one, including me, knew about my strange...heritage, or what had happened to me before I came to the Soul Society. The way that his eyes scanned over me, first with vague recognition, then with a strange and disturbing curiosity. Then his gaze seemed to shift, in the light he viewed me instead of changing where it was aimed. I felt even more uneasy, something that I didn't think possible at the time, when I saw that I was more of an object to him now than a person. Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, he said something about wanting to dissect me, and then walked away with his chin nestled in between his thumb and index finger in a pondering way.

Now this same man was looking at me with a grill of yellowed teeth framed by a grin. Daiki's grip on me tightened ever so slightly as he looked at the strange man before him.

"Oh this just great," The Captain shook his head and made a sound not unlike a sigh, "Two annoying children that are more tongue tied then a rock. If you've come here to annoy me with your idiotic silent treatment, then you completed your job to the letter."

"Her seals," Daiki said, keeping his answers short.

I lifted out a hand, curled up into a fist and aimed slightly towards the ground to bring one of the seals into the strange man's line of sight.

"Ah," The Captain smiled creepily again, "So that's why you've come here. Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to settle for studying those seals instead of you, girl. No matter. Nemu!"

"Yes, Master Mayuri?" I heard the almost doll-like Lieutenant of Squad Twelve say, appearing from a control console she had been typing at.

"Take the girl to the procedure room and cut those seals off of her wrists," The Captain said, "And be quick about it. I don't want to stand for the one in the hood for any longer then I have to."

"Yes, Master Mayuri," The Lieutenant said, then started towards me and Daiki in a calm and collected manner that was almost inhuman.

Daiki, though reluctantly, gently transferred me to the arms of the Lieutenant. His hesitance didn't seem to affect Nemu at all, as she silently waited for the transfer to be completed. Once it was though, she turned briskly around and headed for a set of double sliding doors that I assumed was the "procedure room". Daiki vanished from sight, blending with the shadows seemingly without any effort. I lost complete sight of him once Nemu carried me over the threshold of the door.

Instantly, the smell of a hospital hit my nostrils. I cringed, looking around the room and shivering at its likeness to another room that was just like it. There was a almost table-like bed at the center of the room with manacles for the wrists and ankles of who ever was to be operated on. There was a cart with a tray of medical utensils lined up in perfect order. The light above the table/bed was a white florescent bulb that lit up the small room in pale light. The center of all the room was that table, with everything else placed around it as needed. Just like Aizen's back when he sliced me open and let the essence of a Hollow ooze and slither into my soul. I tried my hardest to even out my breathing, to try and make the cascading flashback images and my rising blood pressure subside. The panic attack that I was about to have was making my heart rate quicken uncontrollably, and nauseousness washed over my body. The Lieutenant of Squad Twelve didn't seem to notice any of the symptoms that the sight of this room brought me.

"Third Seat Kuchiki," Nemu said, setting me down on the table, "Could you please remove the tekko and medical wrappings on both of your wrists so that I may cut away the seals?"

I nodded, "Of course."

I did as instructed, sliding off the white tekko and the wrappings of the same color to reveal the skin underneath. I placed my tekko beside me, on top of the pile of wrappings, and looked back at Nemu. She picked up a strange drill-like device that had a small tank attached to the bottom of the grip. I looked at the Lieutenant, whom seemed to have the same passive expression, as she neared me. Since I was on the shorter side, and she was taller than average, Nemu almost had to bend down to reach me. Then, touching the trigger of the device, the drill bit began to spin rapidly. When it got up to speed, the tip of the drill bit glowed a bright red-white. As soon as this had happened, Nemu touched the tip of the device to each of the seals on my wrists then immediately pulled it back.

Just when I was about to ask what that was supposed to do, the seals suddenly fell off. I had no way to know of the enormous rush of spiritual pressure that exploded out of my body as soon as those seals were gone. Anything in the room that wasn't tied down was pushed away from me as all the pent up power that I had burst out. The air around me became extremely dense and slightly distorted. A pillar of black and white fire ascended into the roof of the building, the collision of the spiritual pressure causing a rupture in the ceiling as it was blown away. As this pillar of spiritual pressure broke through the building and into the afternoon sky, Daiki burst into the room, my newly unrestricted senses telling me that he was as shocked and confused as I was at how much spiritual pressure was being released from my body. Nemu had taken a step back from the sudden explosion of power, while Daiki stepped aside as the Captain of Squad Twelve walked calmly into the room with a very pleased expression on his face.

"How very interesting," The strange man was saying, looking at the power that was still enveloping me, "So the subject's spiritual pressure has somehow increased past the usual levels due to the restraints placed..."

My mind froze. The strange and creepy man's words caused everything around to halt. He had just called me something that I would have never wanted to hear again. "_Subject_" To him, I was nothing more than a test subject, to be experimented on, documented in my struggles, then cast aside when a better version came about. A cold sweat broke out over my body and countless flashbacks of when Aizen had been experimenting on me, testing me, and referencing me by my name of "Subject 23". All the memories of the cutting and the screaming filled my mind and overshadowed whatever was around me. The Captain looked at me with a confused expression, looking over to me as if I was an afterthought that he had somehow over looked. I wasn't as scared as I thought I was, despite the horrific images that I was getting from the flashbacks. Instead, I was angry. More than angry, since the Captain before me had just called me something that I never wanted to be called again.

But, with no real way to lash out at the Captain that wouldn't end with me shaming the Kuchiki name, I bottled up my anger and my rage and stashed it away deep inside my heart. With that out of the way, I took a deep breath and looked over to the Captain of Squad Twelve.

"Thank you, Captain Kurotsuchi," I said in a deadly neutral voice, one that thankfully sounded monotone enough to pass as a Kuchiki despite my latent rage.

As I was re-wrapping the medical bandages and slipping on my tekko I heard the Captain mumble, "Kuchikis...all of them annoy me to no end..."

As soon as I was done with the small task I had given myself, I nodded to Daiki and we vanished from the room.

* * *

I watched from high above as Daiki and I Flash Stepped on the roof tops of the Seireitei. Soul Reapers didn't even seem to notice us as we flew through the sky at half speed. I was feeling amazing, finally free from those stupid seals. Everything was just like before the entire thing had ever happened, save for the three enormous scars I had on my side now. We were heading for the area that was under the jurisdiction of Squad Six, more specifically the Kuchiki Manor. Daiki had agreed to be my escort until he could find a replacement for himself and get back to his new Captain. I had plans to find a spare Shihakusho in my room, so that I could get out of the white kimono I was currently in.

The guards at the entrance of the Manor stood at attention, yelling in unison, "Good evening, Lady Misami Kuchiki!"

I had stopped from my Flash Step just as I reached the door, then cocked my head, "Are you two new here?"

The faces of the two guards, whom I did not recognize, looked at me with confusion as one of them said, "Yes, Milady, we were just given assignment in your house today."

"Ah," I said, walking towards the gate, "Well, feel free to have a bite of my meal. I'm not going to eat it, since I have too much to do at the moment."

They looked at me with incredulous faces, one of them saying timidly, "A-Are you sure, Milady?"

I nodded as they opened the door for Daiki and I, "Of course, the cooks make enough for an army. On that thought, how about you tell anyone that hasn't been fed yet that they can eat. If my memory serves me right, there are three other's that will be on break when the meal will be ready. Take the oppurtunity to meet them while you all share that meal."

"...So this is the kindness that the others told us about," One of them mumbled under his breath.

"Consider it the first order I give you. alright?" I added as I crossed the threshold of the massive gates that lead into the Kuchiki Manor.

"Yes, Lady Kuchiki!" The both said, with smiles on their faces despite how much they tried to hide it.

Daiki and I walked calmly into the doors of the Kuchiki Manor with quiet footsteps. The sun was continuing its slow arc into the horizon, still having a little ways to go before it set. The blue sky was clear and pure, something that always seemed to happen when I was back home. The servants bowed as I passed, and I gave them my usual gentle smile before continuing on through the halls. We passed the dining hall before we reached the garden that my room was next to. Memories of the winter break from the Academy, when I was just a lucky Rukkon soul that Rukia's brother had surprisingly allowed to stay. I remembered how Rukia had drilled into me all the etiquette and manners that came with being a noble, to the point where I probably was reciting the knowledge in my sleep before the day that I was supposed to go there. The nervousness of how I was supposed to impress Byakuya, how inadequate I felt when I first met him, and the surprise I felt had over heard the conversations between Rukia and Byakuya.

Before I even realized it, Daiki and I were standing on the platform that made up the perimeter of the garden. The small hill, the pond, and the bridge that went over those still waters were all exactly as I had left them. It was hard to believe that it had only been a little over a week since I had left this peaceful part of the Manor before all of what had happened flipped my words upside down. Just over a week ago, I was my old self, free of the knowledge of what had happened to me before I came to the Soul Society. I had been just heading to train the squad, like always with my best friend, Daiki. I cringed at the clarity of memory when I recalled being captured and then torture. I easily remembered how eerily familiar the palace of Las Noches was, how horrifically used to the torture I was after only one session like I had been through it before despite the fact that I had no recollection of it at that time. I shook my head to try and clear those thoughts, and took a deep breath to try to calm down.

"You alright?" Daiki said, keeping his voice low as a pair of maids with a cart of food.

I nodded almost discernibly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Daiki didn't seem convinced, but I held up a hand to silence him. Before he said anything I motioned towards the small hill in the middle of the garden, then he said, "What about it?"

"Well," I said, blushing at the train of thought as I said it, "I don't exactly feel comfortable with changing in front of you."

Daiki took a step back, then nodded apologetically, "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to...I-Nevermind..."

And with that, the hooded Lieutenant of Squad Two Flash Stepped onto the hill and faced away from the door of my room.

* * *

After I had changed into the comfortable cloth of my modified Shihakusho, I slipped out of my room with both my Zanpakuto in place. I had removed all the bandages but the ones on my side, since I wasn't exactly ready to look at the aftermath of the wounds that almost were the end of me. I groaned at the very thought of having more scars on my body, since the one on my cheek drew attention to me already. Thankfully, these new additions to my collection of things that made me stand out, could be easily concealed by the cloth of my Shihakusho. I wasn't keen on having or doing anything that attracted attention to me, since having that attention fried my nerves. I shook my head, adjusted my tekko and scarf, then walked out of my room quietly.

Daiki, sensing my presence, turned to face me where he sat calmly on the hill in the garden, "Good to go?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm ready. I can already sense the welcoming committee at the front gates."

"It would be bad to keep someone like Takeshi waiting," Daiki chuckled, "C'mon, let's hurry."

"Alright," I said, shrugging as I followed the hooded Soul Reaper in a Flash Step to the roofs adjacent to the Kuchiki Manor.

There at the gates of the Manor were Ichigo and Takeshi, waiting very impatiently and looking right at me. They gave the guards, both of whom were looking rather pale from the two massive spiritual pressures, a dirty look. But that look, however soon disappeared when I materialized out of my Flash Step. I looked apologetically at the guards, motioning for them to step back to their posts. While they complied, though hesitantly, to my order, I turned towards the Arrancar and Captain in front of me.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, you two?" I asked, my face indifferent.

Takeshi growled, "These jerks wouldn't let me through the door! Then they called me inferior! I almost tore their freaking hearts out!"

I shook my head, "Welcome to nobility, Takeshi. You'll have to get used to it. What about you, Ichigo?"

"I couldn't leave Takeshi outside, and they wouldn't let me in if I was going to bring him," Ichigo's scowl was as present as ever as he spoke.

"Are you two done throwing a fit?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Takeshi growled, while Ichigo scowled, in agreement. I smiled softly, then turned towards the Squad Five barracks. I pushed off into a Flash Step and soared into the skies above the peaceful streets of the Seireitei, leaving the warm halls of the Kuchiki Manor in my wake. Takeshi, Daiki, and Ichigo quickly followed suit, as I sensed their spiritual pressures behind me. The Seireitei's streets were as busy and lively as ever, formations of Soul Reapers running to and from assignments alongside messengers and members of Squad Four. I looked around the area, taking in the fresh air that I could enjoy now that the weight of the seals that were on my body were now lifted. Daiki was close behind me, his spiritual pressure emitting the same calm and collected aura that he always did. Takeshi and Ichigo was right behind us, side by side as they followed us through the sky.

"Misami," Daiki said suddenly.

"Yes?" I turned my head to look at the hooded Soul Reaper.

"I have to head back to Squad Two," Daiki said, "I'm going to leave Captain Kurosaki in charge of being your escort until I can find a suitable candidate."

"Oh, alright," I said, nodding as I buried my face in my scarf, "Thank you for everything, Daiki. And sorry that you had to deal with meanwhile I was so useless..."

"What're you talking about? You have almost all of your power sealed away," Daiki said flatly, "Quit being so hard on yourself."

"But it's true though," I said, feeling the pang of guilt at my weakness that I didn't fully realize was there, "I've been nothing but a burden to everyone, I couldn't save myself from those Vasto Lorde, or Rukia either. All I could do was be scared and run for my life."

"Misami," Daiki made my blood run cold with how menacing and intimidating his voice said my name, "You killed an entire cavern full of hollows with nothing more then your physical strength and your Zanpakuto. I know of just about no one that could do that while fighting off painful flashbacks of torture at the same time. So stop blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault."

"O-Okay, Daiki," I said, burrowing my face deeper into my scarf, "Sorry."

"You're forgiven," Daiki's voice lost it's edge for a second, "I'll see you later."

"Bye," I said, just as the Soul Reaper vanished from sight as I sensed him change direction towards the grounds commanded by the Punishment Force.

Then the area of Squad Five finally came into view, and a wave of happiness overwhelmed me when I saw that everything was as I had left it before being kidnapped into Hueco Muendo. Rukia was waiting at the door of the Captain's office, a smile on her small face. I smiled back reflexively, letting the rays of the setting sun warm my cheeks. Takeshi and Ichigo pushed on ahead of me, speeding towards the balcony where Rukia stood. I was so happy that everything was going to be alright, and I found satisfaction in the thought that we were going to have to retaliate against the growing army of Hollows. It didn't make sense not to, now that we knew their plan to the fullest extent and that we stopped them before they could fully control the Hollow that was inside of me. The majority of the Soul Reapers in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were being mobilized and given wartime training in preparation for the upcoming fight with the massing army of Hollows. Our Squad in particular, was ready for just about every scenario that could arise given the information that Daiki took from Las Noches.

Then my head started to pound. I suddenly couldn't breathe, my eyes wide with shock. I saw Rukia's facial expression change instantly from a happy one to a terrified mask. Ichigo and Takeshi's faces contorted into confusion then worry as I misstepped on my Flash Step and fell from the sky. The ground came rushing up at me and I couldn't do anything. The pain was, despite comparing it to the torture that I went through at Las Noches, indescribably agonizing. The air was suddenly almost toxic to my lungs, my body unwilling to take it in. I grabbed my skull, trying to stop the pounding and throbbing migraine that dominated my senses and attention. The world was spinning as my body slammed into the roof of a storage building below.

I cried out as the tiles of the roof and the structure caved in and gave way. Dust from the impact enveloped my body and entered my lungs from what little breath I drew. I coughed and groaned in agony as I fell the ten or so feet to the floor of the building I crashed into. The weightless feeling that came with falling ending with a painful impact that took the air out of me. I wheezed, crying out again in pain. The dust around me clouded my vision, and the pounding of my head distracting me well over the limit of where I could sense spiritual pressures. I had almost no conscious thought as the pain continued.

Then breathing became almost impossible. My very soul seemed to wretch around in my body. As if clawing out, my chest seemed to become agony itself as something both horrifyingly familiar, and terrifyingly unnatural blossomed. Then, as my world started to become hazy, I heard something that scared me almost more then Aizen. As my hands transferred from my head to clutching the cloth that was above my heart, the world stilled despite the pain as I heard it.

_**Hello Misami Kuchiki, **_The layered voice of a Hollow echoed through my skull, **_It's a pleasure to finally meet you..._**


	19. Bright Lights Cast The Darkest Shadows

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope that this update was quick enough! I just wanted to thank you all of you for the support that you have given me over the course of this story. This story broke 10,000 views about five days ago! I'm so grateful to all of you that have read this far, especially to those of you that have followed and favorited this story! It means a lot! As a reward, there's an extra long fight scene in store for you all!  
Also, I'm still looking for someone that's good with Photoshop to make some fanart for this story. No pressure, but if you do find it in your heart to create something, please PM me that you have so that I can give you the place to send it!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Here's another one!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, the plot, and my many OCs.**

* * *

I was suddenly empty. There was nothing solid around me, be it physical, emotional, or meaningful. I was in a black void that seemed to permeate my soul through my clothes. I was alone in this vast space of nothingness, unable to sense two feet in front of me nor care to do so. I vaguely remembered intense pain, and a river of pure agony of which my body was its faucet. I also remembered being scared, terrified of what was happening to me. There was so much pain, so much darkness, and so much fear that had been with me. But there wasn't anymore. In fact, I was forgetting it already. This emptiness was in my mind as well, now. I could only relate this to something that happened far to long ago for me to care, but it was definitely like those times. I could only really remember being like this for so long, like being on some other side of reality. I thought I heard voices, but they were too quite and distant for me to care. Who was I? What was I? Where was I? Should I care?

There was a light in the distance, slicing through the darkness like a well honed blade. The light hurt my eyes, making me flinch away. But when I looked back at the illuminating rays, I blinked and squinted to see what it was. The light was changing shape, turning from a spec opposite its surroundings into a human form. I found myself drawn to it, as if it was an angel come to save me from horror. It had wings of the purest white, and a body of the same shade. But if that were to hold true, then there must be demons that it would wish to save me from. With this sudden thought, I looked behind me. The light of this angel made the surrounding darkness less oppressing and absolute. In this space of brightened void, I saw another form similar to the angel that terrified my very soul. It had wings like its opposite, but they were as black as oil. The figure was like a demon version of the angel that had come to save me, and it was reaching for me. I turned and saw the angel reach for me too.

But I couldn't move. Nothing from my brain reached my numb body, save for my head when I turned to look at the two opposing sides.

The moment when both touched me, everything went black once again.

* * *

"Hey Misami," Ichigo nudged the white haired girl's limb form, "Are you alright?"

"We need to get her to Squad Four, Ichigo," Rukia said, making the Kuchikis proud with her mask of calm despite the torrent of worry in her chest.

"We just got out of those stupid seals and this is what she does first?" Takeshi shook his head, "She's gonna be alright, right?"

The girl in question was completely still, her hair splayed out around her head light a halo. Her breaths were swallow and long, making it seem as though she wasn't breathing at all. Takeshi was pacing, trying hard not to break his calm demeanor despite the fact that he was worried his only friend was hurt in an unfixable way. She was like a little sister to the Arrancar, whom had no family to call his own, so he treated her as such. He barely recollected from his past life all those centuries ago that he had done everything for his siblings and his family, protecting them from all the evil that attacked them. Now his unofficially adopted little sister was at his feet, unmoving. What had happened to cause this, Takeshi had no idea, but when he found the one who did this to Misami, he would torture them for days before disemboweling them alive.

There was movement from the direction of Misami. Then, just as the four of them were about to crowd around her even more to see her wake up, something felt off. They all backed off, while Takeshi proceeded to sniff the air. Then Misami's body started to glow a white luster. The spiritual pressure that was causing her to glow suddenly turned to it's usual fire like quality. The white flames didn't last long, however, as they turned to shadow. Those black flames suddenly were dwarfed by the massive explosion of spiritual pressure. The air became almost impossibly thick, the black shadow flames unaffected my the change in atmosphere. Bits of rubble, beams and roof tiles that made up the pile Misami's now barely twitching form laid on started to slowly float up in response to the change in spiritual pressure. Ichigo stared slack-jawed, while Rukia's eyes widened in surprise at the amount of power flowing out of Misami. Daiki and Takeshi were simply staring blankly at the white haired Soul Reaper, since neither of them had any real sense of fear.

Then Misami's fist clenched, unclenched, and finally clenched slowly. Her bangs were covering her blue eyes, the hair pins that kept those strands at by having been dislodged and hanging loosely in her locks of white. Her hair was slightly knotted, her Shihakusho tattered from the fall and the increase of spiritual pressure, and her face was scrapped and bloody. The dust disappeared as the spiritual pressure slammed the particles into the ground. Cracks were appearing in the ground, as if there was a weight on it that it couldn't handle. The white haired girl started to pick herself up slowly, not making a single sound that could be heard over the torrent of her massive spiritual pressure. She stood on top of the rubble pile as it continued to rise one small bit at a time, looking from right to left as if she were looking for something. She looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching it as if she were testing her strength. Her spiritual pressure was almost entirely made of black, shadowy flames with only a highlight of white instead of the even distribution of both types.

Then she looked up at the four of them, and smiled. She seemed to look at them passively, inhumanly. She wasn't the same timid, quiet Kuchiki that they had known for the past five hundred years. There was no way that that same girl could smile like that. It was a sinister smile, one that belonged on the most psychotic, and terrifying being. Her eyes were shadowed by her bangs, masking her expression and making her seem that much more...evil. This was the opposite of Misami Kuchiki, and Ichigo left nothing to the imagine as far as how he felt about it.

"Not again..." He was whispering, "Not now..."

Takeshi took a step back, blinking at the sight before him. He was shocked that the small girl that had saved his life was capable of that expression, of this killer intent that he was feeling. Her spiritual pressure was tinted with Hollow, her aura becoming inhuman and feral with every passing second. All he could do was smile despite himself. So this was the "scary" side of Misami Kuchiki. He was impressed, but not feeling overly terrified. If anything, all this spiritual pressure he was feeling, despite what it was made of, he wanted very much to fight her.

"**Kill...Maim...Burn...**" Misami said in a demonic, layered voice.

She grabbed the blade that was at her hip and ripped it out of its scabbard. Then she disappeared. Everyone looked around, trying to find the demonic version of the white haired girl. Then there was a massive explosion in the distance, the shock wave hitting them like a freight train. There was a massive mushroom cloud that rose into the sky, slowly developing more and more. Takeshi raced over to the explosion, and blinked to make sure that he was seeing right.

Down on the ground, next the start of the mushroom cloud, was Misami. Chuckling like she was mad, like she had lost her mind, while still maintaining that sinister grin. Her source of amusement was cutting down Soul Reaper after Soul Reaper, blood coating her body, blade, and the cracked ground at her feet. Streams of crimson flowed as she continued to add to the body count. She would fire Kido with her free hand, erasing chest cavities and skulls every time with deadly accuracy. Her other blade, the one that she had sheathed at her back, was sitting there unused and unneeded. Takeshi stood on the roof of the building that stood over the bloodied court yard, while the other three of the group watched with varying levels of shock. Daiki looking the least affected, and Ichigo being the most. The more time that the four of them watched Misami chuckle and laugh maniacally, the more Soul Reapers she slaughtered.

Before anyone could say anything Takeshi yelled, "DIBS!" and hurled himself down onto the courtyard.

Ichigo didn't even try to say the Arrancar's name in warning, since he knew that it would have fallen on deaf ears. At least this way, the Arrancar would undoubtedly stall Misami from slaughtering more Soul Reapers. Since Takeshi was able to defeat Misami before, it would stand to reason that the Arrancar would not allow himself to be defeated by someone he had proven weaker than him.

The massive Hollow fighter slammed into the ground, his sword already drawn as he roared in excitement. Ichigo sighed as he sat down. He knew, from vast experience, that any attempt to try and convince the Hollow to stop fighting when he started was pointless. Rukia shot him a glare, silently criticizing her husband for being so lazy as her beloved sister-in-law slaughtered Soul Reapers. Ichigo gave her an apologetic, resigned look, then turned his head towards the fight that was taking place before him.

Misami didn't even wait for the Arrancar to draw his blade, since she was already racing towards him. She was still upholding that psychotic smile as she swung her sword. Since this wasn't really Misami's default strategy, Takeshi's eyes widened and he only blocked it out of pure instinct. Since Misami was much shorter then the Arrancar, the blow had forced her to jump up into the air to reach the target she was aiming at: the throat. When that attempt at the Arrancar's life had failed, Misami torqued in the air and lashed out at Takeshi every full spin. Takeshi had to block three or four quick strikes to his weak points before the white haired girl landed like a ninja in front of him. Takeshi looked down at the girl, smiling similarly to her. Though the difference in their sinister smiles was that Misami's held blood-lust and evil, while the Arrancar's grin was one of longing for more battle like Kenpachi. The three that were watching from the roof top, though Daiki didn't seem to, shivered at the sight.

Then Misami disappeared, moving at a speed that no one thought she could, from the sight of everyone present. Ichigo looked around, while Rukia search for the white haired Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure in an attempt to locate her. There was another massive explosion, another mushroom cloud that rose into the sky around where Squad Three was. Then, as the rest of them were about to relocate to the explosion to try to find Misami, Takeshi suddenly grunted in pain. The eyes of Rukia and Ichigo widened as they saw the blade owned by Misami jutting out of Takeshi's chest just below his Hollow hole. Misami wrenched the blade out of the Hollow before he could grab it, and vanished into another frighteningly fast Flash Step. The Arrancar looked around, trying in vain to locate the Soul Reaper. He was getting annoyed with the feeling of being hunted instead of being the hunter. It was different when he when up against Kenpachi, or Byakuya Kuchiki, since both of them had not wanted to kill him outright. Kenpachi, like him, wanted only to have a massive fight that was for the both of their enjoyment. Byakuya had struck out at him in vengeance for Takeshi hurting his beloved adopted sister. But Misami's first blow was to his throat, to kill him. He hadn't felt this sense of unease since his days as an Adjuches, when he was struggling to survive while being hunted by others of his kind. He hated being the prey. He didn't like this feeling.

Despite this, Takeshi wasn't scared in the slightest in light of the situation. Though he was pleasantly surprised that Misami had this power at her disposal, Hollow or not, he still didn't like to be the hunted. It felt unnatural. He felt his arm grow lighter along with a small wave of pain. He looked down, only just catching the small form of his attacker before she disappeared into another Flash Step, as he saw half of his forearm laying on the ground. The little Kuchiki had sliced right through his Hollow hide, dense muscle, and his bone in one clean slice. Takeshi was surprised at the skill Misami had, even when she was just fighting without her Shikai. When Misami didn't have to restraints of mercy and kindness, she was a terrifying force to be reckoned with. She wasn't even using both of her blades.

"What in Kami's name is going on here?" Soi Fon, along with the Captains of Squads Thirteen and Eight.

Ichigo turned to the three Captains, "I wish I could tell you. Everything was fine a few minutes ago."

There was yet another massive explosion where Squad Twelves major research was situated, its mushroom cloud rising higher then the others due to the research equipment exploding along with it. Soi Fon clenched her jaw and looked at her new Lieutenant, "Report, Lieutenant Daiki."

"Ma'am," Daiki said, coming to attention, "The Third Seat of Squad Five was returning to her office to complete her late paperwork when she suddenly fell and landed through the roof of a storage building below. When we asked her is she was alright, we realized that she was unconscious and we were about to approach her. But then there was a massive spike of spiritual pressure."

Soi Fon held up her hand, "That's enough, Lieutenant."

"Yes, Captain," Daiki said, turning around to continue watching the fight just as Misami fired an unnamed Byakurai at Takeshi.

"That's Misami?" Captain Ukitake looked astonished and shocked, "She's the one that did all of this?"

Ichigo nodded, "She's the only one, and it's only been five or so minutes."

"Only five minutes?" Ukitake blinked.

"Girl's got some crazy strength...I can't believe that this is the same girl that I welcomed to the Academy..." Captain Shunsui said, sounding strangely nostalgic.

Takeshi blocked another vicious strike from Misami, while the Captains and Lieutenants talked above them. The spiritual pressure that his opponent was giving off was electrifying him, making him want to fight her all the more. The small girl's fighting style was like a tornado, using her small and thin body to spin through the air and strike out once or twice every full rotation. She had an exceedingly fast Flash Step, and she was using that to both avoid his strikes and deal massive amounts of damage to all of his unguarded weak points and exposed areas. Had he been a Soul Reaper, he would have undoubtedly been on his knees from blood loss. But since he was an Arrancar with high speed regeneration, the "death of a thousand cuts" approach Misami's technique showed wasn't as effective as it usually was. But if she were to draw her second sword, it would definitely become the "death of ten thousand cuts". She showed no signs of slowing, the training and spiritual pressure that she commanded allowed her to be immune to things like fatigue. But Takeshi was trying as best he could to be discrete in his attacks.

When she lashed out, and he blocked the strike with his blade, there was a small window that opened since Misami would be suspended in the air for a split second. Due to this, Takeshi had been spiking his spiritual pressure every time he blocked a strike from the white haired girl. Every time their blows connected, she would be taking damage from the shock wave of the blow. Unfortunately, Takeshi neither had the patience for this kind of boring fight nor the ability to tell whether or not it was even working to begin with.

Misami suddenly switched tactics. Takeshi blinked as their was a slight flickering of Misami's image before there was five of her standing before him. They were standing perfectly in a row, all of them with blades held out from their bodies. Then they started to fan out, with the center one standing firm while the two on each side circled slowly around. Takeshi looked left and right, tracking the four moving Misamis as well as the one that remained as she was. When they had finished moving, they were all standing equally apart. Their eyes were still overshadowed by their bangs, their mouths grinning viciously, giving the appearance that the girls were possessed. Then the five of them all attacked the Arrancar at once.

Takeshi had no hope to block all of the five to ten strikes from the white haired attackers, and chose instead to hurl himself into the air and slam into the round to know them all back. But that ended up being a bad call, since the real Misami was above as well. With a viscous laugh of evil excitement, Misami slashed at Takeshi's unprotected back. The blade bit deep and caused Takeshi to grunt from the pain as blood sprayed out from the wound and coated Misami. Takeshi fell from the sky, unable to right himself in time to land properly, and slammed into the ground. With the speed clones long gone and unneeded, Misami landed eerily calmly ten feet before the Arrancar.

She stood there, slouched as though she were sleeping on her feet, with her sword at the ready. She was panting, but no one really thought that that came from exhaustion, but knew that it came from the girl's excitement over the direction the fight was taking. Though her eyes were blocked from sight by her bangs, Misami's aura left nothing to the imagination as to her intentions. Blood lust was as present in that girl as it was in every other Hollow that they had ever seen. Her skin was scraped and dirtied, blood from the Arrancar dripping from her hair and her tattered Shihakusho. She had done all of this damage to the strongest Arrancar they'd seen, and yet she had neither drawn her second blade nor let her sinister grin falter.

"**Kill...Maim...Burn...**" Misami chanted, almost as if she were thinking aloud, in a demonic and layered voice.

"Y'know," Takeshi stood, his wounds healing already, "Even though you're trying to kill me, this is one of the funner fights that I've been in. What do you say that we make it a little more interesting?"

Misami's image flickered, and another colossal explosion rocked the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, "**Kill...Maim...Burn..._KILL._**"

Then the possessed white haired Soul Reaper charged towards the Arrancar while laughing like a crazed psychopath. Takeshi brought up his sword and blocked the strike. But as Misami was about to twist again and lash out, Takeshi grabbed her arm with his free hand. Misami still twisted, however. Takeshi blinked, suddenly very confused. With the way that she was positioned, if she turned anymore her shoulder was going to dislocate. The group watching rather helplessly from the roof tops stared in their own forms of shock as the sound of bone wrenching out of place, flesh tearing, and the unfaltering evil chuckling washed over them when Misami turned a full rotation and slashed Takeshi's unprotected side. Takeshi let go, the cut she made already healing since it was relatively shallow, and Misami dropped to the ground. Since Takeshi made no move to attack her, Misami flipped her sword around into a reverse grip and stabbed the ground with her blade. It bit deep into the compact dirt and remained as it was as her now free right hand moved to her severely dislocated shoulder.

Without her crazed expression changing, Misami popped her shoulder back into place. Rotating her newly fixed left arm to make sure it was working, Misami ripped her blade out of the ground and charged at the Arrancar again. Takeshi started to laugh out of pure joy. Never had he had an opponent that would go to self injury in order to gain the advantage, nor was there ever one that had been creepily immune to pain.

But his laughter only escalated when he heard Rukia yell, "Takeshi, do you have any seals on!?"

"Just your's, Midget!" Takeshi yelled back.

The petite Soul Reaper Lieutenant didn't seem to notice the jab, "Let Ichigo switch with you so I can take that off!"

Takeshi blocked another attack from Misami as he debated whether or not she was serious, then he looked at Ichigo, "If you steal my fight, Carrot-top, you'll regret it."

"Okay, okay," Ichigo said, "I'll just stall her!"

Takeshi nodded, then vanished from sight to appear by the raven haired Kuchiki. Ichigo took his place, but Misami had already taken the opportunity to blow up yet another Squads Barracks. Before the mushroom cloud was even fully formed, their blades were clashing. It was all over Ichigo's face that he was surprised at what he felt when he crossed swords with this form of Misami. Gone was the restrained, merciful spirit of the blade. There was no good in it almost at all, as if it were enveloped in darkness. Once, twice, three times their swords clashed, and the exchange ended with Ichigo having two bleeding cuts as a result of Misami's vortex-like technique. Takeshi wasted no time when he saw how much more Misami was grinning, taking that as a sign the girl was just getting started. He snatched the key from Rukia's hand and jammed it into the slot. Turning the key, the lock released and a torrent of spiritual pressure rocketed into the sky.

Takeshi looked down at his hands, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists. Then he smiled. He started to chuckle almost evilly, as excitement and the feeling of freedom overwhelmed him. He laughed maniacally into the sky, causing Soi Fon and the rest of the Soul Reapers present to eye him with caution. Takeshi jumped down from the roof and landed with a massive shock wave announcing his arrival back onto the battlefield. Ichigo looked and instantly disappeared in a Flash Step when he saw the look on Takeshi's face.

Now both of the crazed fighters were fighting with evil, sinister smiles. Takeshi drew his sword, blood red spiritual pressure rising into the sky and making the atmosphere all the more thicker. His sword started to glow in response to his intentions as he started to focus his spiritual pressure. He channeled it into his blade and slowly exhaled in the form of a chuckle.

"_Destroy all in my path, Decimador!_" He yelled at he top of his lungs.

A two more enormous explosions were the cost of Takeshi's sword release as Misami found plenty of time to use her astonishing speed to attack two more Squads. The massive Hollow bone great-sword slammed into the ground. A line ten or so feet from the tip of the blade, formed on the ground due to the power and sharpness of the blade in the Arrancar's hand. Misami looked at the line, with the farthest it reached being just where her toes were, then back up to Takeshi. Her grin grew even more, as her left arm slowly moved up to the unused sword at her back. Grabbing the hilt of the sword and sliding it out of its scabbard, Misami effectively leveled the playing field. Takeshi knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up with her much better in his current form than that of his base form. As of now, he was a foot taller, more muscular, and much slower. His blade, though his could change it into a smaller weapon, wouldn't be able to completely compensate for this change. If he were to change the massive great sword into a katana, its smallest shape, the speed it afforded him wasn't going to be enough to stop both of Misami's blood thirsty blades. His strategy would have to consist of baiting the white haired Soul Reaper into leaving an opening long enough for him to exploit it with his great-sword. As the situation looked, Misami wouldn't be able to stand a hit of that size without some sort of dampening on her speed and damage output. Once he was able to get that hit in, he could then use his katana to match her speed.

Takeshi grinned at the thoughts running through his head, blocking what slices he could while ignoring the ones that he couldn't. It had been a long time since he had had to think through his strategy this thoroughly. It annoyed him that he had to do so, but that meant that Misami was strong enough and dangerous enough to make him think in other ways than hacking and slashing through the fight. In light of that fact, there was no way that Takeshi could possibly be upset at this fight. It was everything that he could have hoped for, and more.

Misami vanished from sight. Takeshi listened for another explosion, but there wasn't one. He looked around the area that they were fighting in, and found nothing. All he knew from this point was that she was too close for him to pinpoint her exact location with is senses, since her spiritual pressure was so oppressive, massive, and closely resembling his own. There was a small sound, like the muted version of a Flash Step, that was assaulting his ears and making him grit his teeth in irritation. Then there was, as he expected to happen sooner or later, a multitude of sharp pains all over his body. He suddenly found himself without a good amount of blood and close to thirty cuts all over areas of his body with veins exposed. He roared, and charged forwards, finally sensing something concrete. Using his knowledge of the small Soul Reaper he was fighting, mostly the fact that she was mimicking a certain hooded Soul Reaper, he struck out at the place he thought she would least expect him to strike: himself.

Takeshi sheathed the massive great sword in his stomach, the tip of the blade jutting out of his back, just missing his spine. Then the image of an impaled Misami appeared on the end of his blade as she ran into the sword. Her smile faltered only long enough for her to cough up a fountain of crimson before it went right back onto her face. Takeshi could see out of the corner of his eye that Daiki was shaking his head, the brim of his sinister hood swaying right to left in response. Then Takeshi coughed up his own blood as he started to laugh. Misami had been chuckling the entire time anyway, but it seemed she was laughing a little more then before. Then Misami raised her right hand, extending her index and middle finger together and aiming it at the Arrancar's heart. Pale lightning shot from the tips of her fingers as she fired an unnamed Byakurai into the Arrancar's chest cavity. Takeshi grunted, changing the shape of his great sword to its katana form as he took the blade out of his stomach. Misami took that opportunity to escape and land behind him. Takeshi turned around as saw something that he had totally forgotten had existed in that moment.

Misami had already impaled the ground with her left sword, causing black shadowy flames to rise from the ground and claw at the air like the hands of the damned. Just as the Arrancar was finished turning towards the Soul Reaper, the pommels of her two swords had already met as she released her sword without saying the command. Her left sword turned completely black, like Ichigo's Bankai, and her right turned completely white like Rukia's Shikai. Light and Darkness, the two sides of Misami Kuchiki on full display. The side of Takeshi that actually cared about things like that was surprised that one being could become both the purest of heart, and the darkest evil. An angel and a demon, both of them had a place in Misami. Right now, Takeshi was getting a glimpse of that demon within is friend, and he knew that this wasn't the extent of her evil power. There was still some good left in her, trying desperately to fight its way back into control of her body. If Misami were to really snap, to lose all of her humanity to rage, or pain, _then _the Soul Society would see the farthest a Soul Reaper could fall.

When the flames of light and shadow subsided, leaving Misami with the killer aura that she had before, the white haired Soul Reaper charged towards Takeshi. She slashed with her right, then her left, then another from the right, to end with an unnamed Byakurai to Takeshi's arm. The combo lasted less then a second, and it was only the beginning. Over and over Misami's crazed attacks continued with boundless energy, her maniacal laughter filling the air along with the sound of blood being spilled. Misami didn't look like she was going to stop anytime soon.

Soi Fon shook her head as she was watching the fight, "I refuse to believe that that is the same girl I sat next to an hour ago."

The Captain of Squad Two watched with great interest at the fighting technique Misami was able to display despite being completely insane and feral in her demeanor. Effortlessly switching between normal and reverse grip, spinning and twisting in the air in perfect time to deal the most damage in the shortest amount of time. For every cut that Takeshi managed, Misami had already slicing into him a hundredfold. Had the Arrancar not been enjoying himself so much, he would be on his knees from blood loss. But the adrenaline that was coursing through his veins was making his wounds heal much faster, and they healed faster with every cut and gash. That was the scary thing about the Arrancar ally that Misami had made, the fact that if you didn't defeat him soon he would drag out the fight and become strong enough to comeback from the most dismal of circumstances. That was precisely what was going on, since Misami's massive amount of small wounds were healing and causing her opponent to gain strength. If she didn't put him down soon, his amount of strength would exceed that of the white haired Soul Reaper.

Which was exactly what the Arrancar wanted, as well as the rest of the people that were watching from the roof top. This was the rare exception that the Soul Society would rather an Arrancar win than a Soul Reaper.

Then Takeshi, getting fed up with the latest devastating combo from Misami, changed the shape of the katana into a mace. Then slammed the impact weapon into the cracked and cratered ground. The resulting shock wave and force drove Misami back, crumbled nearby buildings and blew off the shingles of the roof the group was using as a watch point. Misami had black flipped into landing with her right sword out and on one knee. Then the grin she had been holding widened even more as she slowly stood and pointed her white blade at Takeshi. Something was growing at the tip of the blade, gathering in density and power with every passing moment. The spectating group's eyes widened as they realized what she was doing. The ball that was coalescing at the end of her "pure" sword was a dark grey with a sinister black highlight that faded into the grey from the out edge. There was no doubt about it: Misami was charging a Cero.

Before Takeshi could charge one of his own to counteract the Soul Reaper's, Misami fired the beam. Takeshi crossed his forearms before his face and concentrated all of his spiritual pressure to guard against the powerful attack. The telltale sound of a Cero firing filled the courtyard as Misami laughed hysterically into the afternoon air. Then as Takeshi was occupied with the Cero's blast, Misami did something that no one expected. She tossed her sword up and out towards the Arrancar. Takeshi couldn't see the blade, nor do anything as it sailed end over end through the air. Judging by the trajectory, it was going to over shoot her opponent. But when the shadow blade sunk into the ground, Takeshi roared in pain. Soi Fon's eyes widened when she remembered the ability of the white haired Soul Reaper's demon blade, the ability to slice an enemy through their shadow. She looked past the Arrancar, and saw that the long shadow cast by the light of the Cero was indeed impaled buy the standing sword. Takeshi, also going against expectations, didn't falter in his defense and remained as he was until the Cero was finished.

Then as Misami rushed forwards with her white blade, Takeshi lifted his fist and swung at the girl. When she dodged to the right, she was met with the head of his mace. The weapon, moving at an astonishing speed despite the wounds Takeshi had suffered, collided with Misami's skull with enough force to knock her out without causing to much damage. The girl was unconscious as she laid sprawled on the ground. A stream of blood that ran from the corner of her still grinning mouth made her look as possessed as she had been acting just moments before. The way that she was smiling, it made her canines look more like fangs, the combination of tattered Shihakusho and the multitude of wounds made her look like the demon warrior she had been not too long ago. Takeshi looked down at the girl, watching as her swords returned back to normal and the feeling of a blade in his back subsided. He chuckled at the thought that it only took one good hit to bring her down.

The group that had been watching from the roof appeared behind Takeshi out of Flash Step.

"What now?" Daiki said, breaking the silence.

"Who knows..." Ichigo shook his head, then turned to Soi Fon, "You're going to imprison her, aren't you?"

Soi Fon gave him a sneer, "Of course, Kurosaki. She destroyed half the Court Guard Squads, slaughtered close to three to four hundred Soul Reapers, and nearly succeeded in killing an Arrancar comparable Kenpachi Zaraki with only her _Shikai_."

"You have a point," Ichigo sighed, scratching the back of his head, "But I don't think that Misami was the one that did all of this."

"Oh?" Soi Fon smirked with contempt, "Do explain."

"I dunno," Ichigo said, "Maybe they don't control her Hollow with the seals?"

"What are you suggesting, Ichigo?" Ukitake asked, a solemn tone in his voice.

Ichigo looked over to the sickly Captain of Squad Thirteen, "I think that they can control the Hollow itself. Or at least can program it remotely."

The group was silent for a moment as they all slowly looked back towards the small Soul Reaper in question.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

All I could feel was this aching in my head, and the soreness of my body. The bright morning light was shining through the window next to my bed, which I assumed was the reason I had woken up. My bangs were pasted over my right eye, something wrapped around my head keeping them there. I had a pounding headache, throbbing in time with each beat of my heart. I looked around, trying to find other signs of life. When there wasn't anyone around, I grew confused. The air wasn't the same as the last time I woke from a sleep I had no memory of wanting. Then I noticed that the morning light was the only thing that was bright about the place I was in.

The walls were made of dark, dampened stone that was weathered and molded. There was a pair of chains that dangled from an anchor point three quarters up the wall from the ground, their ends holding manacles that looked bloody and rusted from over-use. The ground was made up of dirt, something white in the corner that I thought was a bone. There was the eerie sound of slowly dripping water in echoing through the air, and the sound of rats. I hated the thought of rats in the same room as me. My skin crawled as the fear settling in my stomach solidified as I realized where I was.

I was in the prison cells under the jurisdiction of Squad Two. I struggled to get up, but my body wouldn't move. I panicked, frantically trying to move my limbs. I looked down and horror latched onto my brain as soon as my eyes saw my wrists. Manacles. I was chained the bed just like before, but this time there was something even more terrifying to me that was in my arm. There was an IV, the needle stuck into the vein in the nook of my elbow. I tried to look away from the needle, but there was nothing else to look at to distract me enough. Manacles, needles, pain. Everything from that first time in Aizen's evil clutches. My breathing got heavier and heavier. I was starting to hyperventilate from panic, fear creeping to my pounding heart. My head throbbed, my temples exploding in pain. My heart rate was sky rocketing as I felt more and more lightheaded.

Then everything culminated in a single bloodcurdling scream that tore out of my dry throat, "_GET. ME. OUT!_"

Then, out of pure desperation, I forced all of my strength into my arms and wrenched them inwards. My face becoming the picture of rage for the briefest of moments as overexertion ripped through my sore muscles. The strong metal of the chains was no match for my temporary rage induced strength. They groaned as they stretched, the weakest link coming undone and opening. I roared with the effort as I realized that it was working, and there was a satisfying _snap _when the chains broke. My torso shot forwards from the sudden release of tension from the chains, causing my to yelp in pain from my sore body. I ripped the needle out of my arm soon afterwards, and shoved the IV stand away from me out of reflex as I scampered to the wall as far away from the door as I could. At that point, I drew my legs up to my chest, wrapped my arms around my shins, and laid my head gently onto my knees. I rocked myself back and forth from the balls of my feet to my buttocks, and back again. I tried to even my breathing, taking in deep breaths. My heart started to finally calm, since the main source of my panic attack was neutralized, but the fact that I was in a cell again didn't allow me to completely calm down. I was have anxiety attacks now, thinking that every shadow and spiritual pressure was a Hollow sent to fetch me for more experiments. Soon I was starting to hear the dripping of the water. Each drop was louder then the last, each one pounding more and more into my skull. They started to sound more and more like footsteps, the pounding tread of a Hollow underling.

"I'll kill you...Stay away...I'm gonna get outa here...I'll kill you...Shut up, go away..." I started to mumble to myself, my mind playing tricks on me.

When I thought there was another Hollow to get me, when their footsteps grew to an intolerable volume, I'd start to shout those same words until I was sure that it had gone away. I felt my eyes heat up and start to water, the fear too much for me to bear without some form of release. Touched one of my hands to my head, in some lame attempt to stop my pounding headache. I felt the bandages that had been wrapped around my head, some strands covering it from view. When did Aizen ever tend to my wounds like this? Why didn't he just use my Hollow's regeneration like usual? What was that evil man planning?! He would never care so much to give me bandages...No, there was some sort of purpose behind this! He was trying to get inside my head, to make me lower my guard so he could finally kill me in the Den of Hell.

_Wait, when was the last time I'd been in the Den? Was that what was next? Was there something in the IV that he gave me that'll make it harder than it already was? Did he drug my food again? Was there someway that he erased my memories of it so I would make a mistake? Where was that stupid Hollow? Why doesn't it all just stop?! Why can't I just die already?! No! That's what he wants...I'll live, just so I can live long enough to kill him..._

"Misami?" Rukia's soft voice slammed into my mind and caused it to cease working for a moment.

I blinked, looking at Rukia's mortified expression. I looked down at my hands, and my breath failed me. My nails were chipped, making them as sharp as claws. The bedding was strewn about the dirt floor, the mattress torn to pieces. The small springs were in my hands, molded into a very crude and makeshift shank. My cheeks were streaked with tears. The walls had claw like marks missing from their well cultivated mold. My knuckles were split and bleeding, blood stains on the wall next to me. As I heard the clanking of the chains attached to my wrists, I realized that I had been speaking my thoughts loud enough for Rukia to hear. How much had she heard? What will she do? Will she hate me?

Rukia was almost on the verge of tears, "What did Aizen do to you, Misami? For how long?"

I looked at her with a blank expression, as if I didn't understand the question. Then I spoke in a hoarse voice, "I...I don't know...Rukia? What am I doing here?"

Just before she told me, and explained it to me, I remembered on my own. I knew exactly what I had done. As Rukia recounted the events of yesterday afternoon, trying to down play the destruction and mayhem I caused, I felt the overwhelming urge to puke. Rukia picked up on it through the expression on my face, and stopped talking about it.

"Are you okay?" Rukia asked, "Do you even remember it?"

I looked away from her and shook my head, "No...And I don't think I want to..."

Rukia nodded, "Okay...Well, I suppose that it'll be okay if I let you out of here. I have orders from the Head Captain to bring you to him once you were stable."

I took a deep breath, and nodded, "Okay..."

I felt horrible, the air was too thick for me to feel any sort of comfort. When I heard the door creak open, and I Flash Stepped through it the instant I was able to fit through. Rukia jumped out of the way, looked at my with a sympathetic look, and closed the door. The air became much, _much _more bearable once I was out of that cell. It was more spacious then the one that I had in Las Noches, but it was too similar for me to stand it. The IV and the manacles didn't help either.

I looked down at my tattered Shihakusho, and saw all the healing wounds that were exposed through their corresponding tears in the cloth. The cuffs were still on my wrists, the chains dangling from my arms as though they were some crude attempt at jewelry. I was still wearing my sandals, but my tekko and scarf were gone. The medical wrappings that were around my arms were between the manacles and my skin, thankfully guarding against the irritation that I was used to feeling with cuffs on. Rukia passed me, and I quickly followed her to the stairs. I didn't want to say a word, and I doubted that I could speak clearly since all of the yelling I had done had left me with a raw throat. I looked like some strange tortured character from a drama. Bandaged around my head and arms, tattered and torn clothes, chains hanging off of my wrists, along with the expression of utter exhaustion plaguing my features. I was a wreck, and there wasn't anything I could do about it. ANd Rukia made no motion or sign to tell me that I was going to change into something more appropriate.

It must be urgent if we couldn't even stop to let me change.

The stairs siphoned off any energy that I had left from my trauma, so I was breathing raggedly by the end of it. Rukia offered to help me along, but I shook my head an managed a weak smile to show my gratitude for her offer. I was, after all that had happened, not going to show that I was as weak as I was. Walking in on my own power was one of the ways I could do that. But it was hard to think about ascending even more stairs to reach the Captains room.

As Rukia passed the guards, she informed them of her intentions. They nodded and sent someone ahead to notify the Captains that I was on my way. Supposedly, they were instructed to have a Captains meeting as soon as I was awake. I sighed since I had no doubt that the thirteen of them would mobilize and be waiting for me for a good five minutes before I could make it there. Since I had no energy left, Flash Stepping seemed like a distant dream. Rukia could tell by the way I was walking, so she slowed her pace in order to stay at my side.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I've definitely been better," I chuckled ruefully.

"Yeah," Rukia rolled her eyes, smiling, "I can tell."

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" I asked

Rukia looked away, "Yes."

I suddenly found my feet to be very interesting, "I see. I thought so..."

"Don't worry, Misami," Rukia said, "I'm sure Brother will negotiate if it gets too bad..."

I laughed, shaking my head, "Like he did for you?"

"That's in the past," Rukia smirked, "I know that Brother wouldn't do that ever again. Plus, it wasn't even you that was doing all of the attacking, it was..."

"You can say it, Rukia," I said, noticing her hesitation at the words.

"...Your Hollow," Rukia finished.

"Do you think of me different now that you know the truth?" I asked, missing the comfort of being able to bury my face in my scarf.

"I...don't know," Rukia said, looking forwards in thought.

I scoffed, "That's comforting."

"It's the truth," Rukia said, looking at me, "I still love you, you _are _still my sister. But I don't really know how to approach you about this. I'd feel upset if you'd kept it from me on purpose, but you found out with the rest of us. So, all I feel is sorry for you...I mean, you were in a cell for one night and you...you went crazy."

"Yeah, I'm pitiful," I shook my head.

"Don't you dare say that!" Suddenly raised her voice, "I don't know how you are still _sane _right now! People go crazy after one day of what you went through!"

I looked into her eyes, those violet irises holding frustration and sadness. It hurt to look a Rukia when she wore that expression, since I was the one that had caused it. I felt completely inadequate in her presence, and hated the fact that I couldn't bury my face in my scarf like I always did. I looked away just as quickly, looking at the ground as I walked. I was nothing compared to her...I was a monster, a freak of nature. I shouldn't even exist.

"Misami," Rukia said, cutting through my thoughts, "We'll always love you. You know that, right?"

"I...I'm sorry, Rukia..." I said, nearly whimpering, "I'm so sorry..."

"You don't need to apologize for anything, Misami," Rukia said, "None of this is your fault, okay?"

"But it is!" I exclaimed, blinking away tears, "I'm part _Hollow _Rukia! Part of me is your mortal enemy!"

"Is Takeshi your mortal enemy? Is Nel?" Rukia asked.

I blinked, "Are you calling me an Arrancar, Rukia?"

Rukia shrugged, "Maybe?"

Then we both laughed, not even realizing that we were already at Squad One.

* * *

Takeshi paced outside the Captain's meeting, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed. He was strangely nervous as to what the twelve Soul Reapers would decide what to do with his friend. The air was tense as he listened with all his senses to try and overhear the conversations.

Takeshi had almost no doubts that a certain annoying hooded Soul Reaper was somewhere where he could hear the conversations easily. Whether it was by Soi Fon's side or in the rafters, he didn't know. The man was a mystery to him, along with the rest of the Soul Society. Strong enough to be a Lieutenant, with hints that he had already achieved Bankai, yet he allowed himself to remain a lowly Fourth Seat under Ichigo. Not to mention the fact that he was a Fifth Seat under the peace loving Captain Ukitake. The fact that when Daiki had fought him all that time ago, he'd denied Takeshi the chance to fight him at full strength. Not only did that annoy Takeshi to no end, but it made him all the more curious as to what that Bankai would be.

"Hey, Takeshi," Nel's voice broke the tense silence.

Takeshi, whom had never seen her adult form nor the flattering Shihakusho she wore, started to trip over himself, "N-Nel?! That the heck happened to you?"

"Oh, this is my 'true form'," Nel smiled, making air quotes, "Kisuke helped me so I could switch between it and my child form."

Suddenly, just before Takeshi was about to certainly embarrass himself, Daiki flickered into existence from a Flash Step, "Hey, guys."

"I'm surprised," Takeshi turned towards Daiki, thankful at least for the opportunity to not say something that he'd regret to Nel, "I thought you'd be inside there, spying on the Captains."

Daiki shrugged, pulling down his scarf and hood to reveal his menacing expression, "I actually just came from there."

"And?" Takeshi prodded.

"My Captain told me to leave, once she found out I was there," Daiki responded.

"The meeting's been going on for two hours," Takeshi rolled his eyes, "There's no way that someone like Soi Fon didn't notice you for that long."

Another shrug, another passive answer, "I guess she didn't."

Takeshi growled and shook his head. Nel giggled next to him, a hand covering her mouth in a cute way. Takeshi quickly looked away just before the small blush appeared on his face. Wait, he thought she was cute? Daiki saw the look on the Arrancar's face, however minuscule it was, and a smile tugged at his lips. Takeshi shot the Soul Reaper a death glare, making the Soul Reaper smirk slightly and raise his hands in surrender. This only infuriated the Arrancar even more. Had it not been for Nel's presence, or the sound of the doors leading to the Captain's Meeting room opening, he would have challenged the Soul Reaper to a fight in a heartbeat.

That said, Takeshi suddenly became much more interested in who was exiting those doors. He'd caught a mere glimpse the girl's knotted white hair before she was lead into the meeting room, so he had no idea how much she had recovered. But he wasn't expecting to see the haunted look in her eyes, or the fact that they hadn't allowed her to change her clothes. Her bangs were covering up her right eye and her cheek scar, a band of bandages encircling her head with a few strands here and there falling other them. She looked shocked, almost in disbelief as she mulled something over in her mind. She stared blankly into space, her eyes unfocused on anyone thing. She didn't see Daiki, or Takeshi for that matter, or anyone else in the word. Then she blinked and stared at the back of a Soul Reaper Captain of Squad Six. That look that she was giving Byakuya made Takeshi's stomach drop.

What was going on?

When they finally reached to where Takeshi, Daiki, and Nel were waiting, Takeshi was the first to speak to the white haired girl, "Sorry about that..."

Misami blinked, confusion present for a moment in her beautiful blue irises, then she touched a manacled hand to her bandaged head, "Oh, this...It's fine. If anything I should thank you for...stopping me."

"Are you okay?" Takeshi let a small amount of the worry he felt show in his tone, "I didn't hit you too hard did I?"

"No, I'm fine..." Misami said.

"Then why don't I believe you?" Takeshi asked, "You're obviously not okay. You look like crap."

"Thanks, jerk," Misami shot back, thankfully in a way that Takeshi knew she was kidding, "That's what _every _girl wants to hear from a guy."

"Then what's wrong?" Daiki asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I...I..." Misami suddenly seemed to be unable to connect her thoughts.

"What did they tell you?" Takeshi asked.

Misami looked very tired in that moment. Her face was lax, her eyes vacant. She looked like a porcelain doll who's hair and clothes needed to be fixed. She looked so helpless and fragile in that moment, Takeshi almost patted her on the head or hugged to so she'd stop giving him that expression. No matter how much he'd deny it, deep down Takeshi cared more for Misami than himself at times. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't and she closed it.

The second time she tried, tears were streaming down her cheeks. But she spoke that time, no matter how much Takeshi wished he didn't hear her.

"I...I'm being exiled, Takeshi..." Misami croaked, starting to sob, "It was the best that my brother could do, but he saved my life..."

"Wh-When do you...leave?" Daiki asked, looked dumbstruck.

"Tomorrow," Misami said softly, "Tomorrow morning."


	20. Exile

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so so so so sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I had to figure out a problem with the plot, and then school started back up. Then I had to worry about all of my assignments and I could barely find enough time to write! I really do apologize for the wait! I hope that you all enjoy it despite that!**

**Thank you, AnimeKpop7, for reviewing! I'm sorry that this took so long, but I hope that you enjoy!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! Yeah, I thought it would have been an interesting plot twist!**

**Thank you, Revision, for reviewing! I really appreciate the feedback! I'm happy to see that you were enjoying it despite my spelling and grammar mistakes. My excuse for those is simply that I haven't had the time to edit and revise my chapters. Since I don't have a beta reader or someone that can consistantly point out things like grammical errors, I've only been able to use Spell-check to fix some of the mistakes. I have had plans to go back and revise my chapters, so that those things can be rectified. Nonetheless, I truly am grateful for your input!**

**Thank you, frausto, for reviewing! I'm glad that you liked it so far and I hope that the rest of the story is just as enjoyable for you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, plot, ideas, and my many OCs.**

* * *

I shivered in the cold air of Karakura Town, drawing the cloth of my shredded and torn Shihakusho. The season of spring was a lie, the biting cold reminding me of winter instead. Alone and miserable, I looked down at my bare toes as I walked down the dark sidewalk in the dim light of the street lamps. I sniffled, my runny nose not helping the misery I felt as I sneezed. My head hurt terribly, pounding with every beat of my small heart. It was always giving me problems, thanks to the world class hit from Takeshi, and all I could do in defense of the agony was hang my head low and pray that another headache wouldn't come. I felt so lonely and sad that it was like those emotions were like lead weighing down my heart and body. Each step was painful, from both that weight and the numbing could that stole the feeling in my feet and my small hands. I could see my pitifully small breath with each exhale, and feel the numbing cold claw its way into my throat with every inhale of the night air. I could feel a cold worming its way into my body, and shook my head at the hopelessness of it, since having to deal with a cold on top of my healing wounds and the weather was bad enough already. I looked behind my back, finding no one following me through the night. This both relieved me and made me feel even more forgotten. I was at least grateful that no one was trying to sneak up behind me and knock me out, then take me prisoner or something cruel, but it only confirmed that there was no one that was going to save me from this misery.

The biting wind rustled the leaves of any trees in the houses' yards, the bushes as well if their leaves were big enough. There was a plastic bag that tumbled down the street, followed by a news paper weeks old. I could hear children laughing in their bedroom, the sounds of pillow fights accompanying their joyous sounds until they were cut off by the window closing abruptly. There were a few lights in in the homes to my right, with the street glistening slightly from a recent rain. A rain that I had to spend sitting in and was now paying for it with a cold. The bridge I'd sought cover in as too little to late, and my clothes were still wet from the down pour. Now I feared hypothermia more then the Hollows that were bound to attack me.

_It could have been worse, _Hikari said, trying to reassure me in my woeful state.

_I doubt that, _I said.

_You have to cheer up, Misami, _Hikari said, _This is only temporary, anyway. Rukia will come back for you._

_I'm a monster, Hikari, _I thought back bitterly, _Why would anyone want a Soul Reaper that's part Hollow?_

_They don't seem to upset with someone like Ichigo, _Hikari argued.

_Ichigo's another story. He can be controlled at least somewhat through his friends, _I said dismissively, _They don't know how to control me. I don't have very many apparent weaknesses. They can't seal me away and treat me like every other psycho they deal with, since that would cause an uproar with the Kuchiki Clan, as well as the Soul Society in general. _

_You've put some thought into this, haven't you? _Hikari said wryly.

_It's what happened with the Vizards, more or less. Since I'm some sort of being like them, I was treated the same way, _I responded. _Only, I doubt there's no just cause as to why I lost control like that._

"Still resisting any help from Kisuke?" Daiki's gruff voice sounded behind me.

I jumped, exclaiming painfully cutely in surprise, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, forgot you're wearing that stupid limiter Gigai," Daiki said.

I looked behind me, and found that the Soul Reaper in question was crouching balanced on the tip of one of the street lamps, "What do you want Daiki?"

Daiki dropped down from the top of the post with a silent, almost graceful landing as he shook his head. He was in his own Gigai, but the normal ones that were provided to Soul Reaper's that were stationed in the World of the Living. In my new home, where I was currently feeling every bit of the harsh winter in the limiting Gigai that I was forced to wear. He wore a pair of dark pants, combat boots, a jacket with a high standing collar, and a dark under shirt. There wasn't a scarf or hood to hide his menacing glare. Even though I knew that that glare was just his neutral expression due to his past, I still found myself scared of Daiki. Every time I saw his face, it made me shiver at what his eyes held. Ten life times worth of suffering, horror, and terror had played out before those irises, and it showed in his stone cold face. The stories that he had told me of his past surfaced in my thoughts, and I felt slightly more intimidated by the man because of what he had done when he was younger. I instantly felt bad about judging Daiki by his past, even though I knew that he wasn't like that, especially with how he treated me. Still, he wasn't exactly who I wanted to see at the moment. That person being no one at all.

"Harsh thing to say to a friend you haven't seen in a week," Daiki said, feigning a hurt expression that didn't suit him at all.

I sneered, lashing out with some of my frustration at the Soul Reaper Lieutenant, "Says the jerk that sneaks up on girls in the middle of the night!"

"That's good, at least your not trying to hide how much your suffering," Daiki said, shaking his head, "Anyway, why don't you go to Kisuke's? It's not like he hates you or you'll get in trouble with him."

"Maybe because Kisuke might try to analyse me like Aizen did?" I asked rhetorically, "I'm a very interesting case, according to Mayuri."

"Firstly, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's a mad man," Daiki said, "And, secondly, Kisuke's not _that _bad."

Before I could respond there was the sound of a fan opening, and the man in question appeared with it covering his mouth from view, "The Lieutenant's right, I'm not all that bad!"

I looked at the man that had just appeared, my fellow exile. Though it was more of his own accord then because he was hated by the Soul Society. With his charges lifted in light of the things revealed by the Aizen incident five hundred or so years ago, the really was no reason for Kisuke to be in the World of the Living save for his wishing to stay there. I, on the other hand, was here due to my killing hundreds of Soul Reapers and destroying half of the Seireitei. The only reason that I wasn't executed for my crimes, which were some of the most serious that Soul Society had seen, was because of my brother's influence, my popularity with the majority of the members of the Thirteen Court Guard Captains, and my own unpredictability. I still liked Kisuke, my gratitude to him for training me, teaching me, and his kindness had not faltered in the centuries since my time in the Academy. But I knew that something would happen if Kisuke could get close to me. I trusted him only as far as I could throw him at times, since I knew that he generally had an ulterior motive for just about every favor he gave some one. Rukia had told me about the time when Ichigo and her had first met, and when she had needed a Gigai without any questions. The idea that my sister had been given a Gigai that would have turned her into a powerless human with the Hogyuku within her soul wasn't exactly something that I wanted to happen to me. Especially since I was a special variant of Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid that was neither fully Vizard or Arrancar. My point being, I had no idea what Kisuke could, or want, to do with whatever time and opportunity I gave him if I stayed at his place. Of course, I could just be over paranoid, and it would be safer to stay with the shady shopkeeper then die a horrible death of hypothermia.

I glared at Daiki, "Did you agree to work with him?"

Daiki shook his head, "I'd rather not see my best friend die from the frickin flu like some dog, so I asked for him to take you in. Is that so wrong?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed, cursing myself as I sneezed, "I didn't want to see him because that's what the Soul Society wants me to do!"

Kisuke grinned, closing the fan as he looked at me from under his hat, "Come on, Misami, I'm still the same man that helped train you back at the Academy!"

I looked away, whipping my runny nose, "I don't want anything to do with the Soul Society, okay? I just want to live in peace, at least for a little while. Don't you get it? I've been exiled! I can't ever go back home!"

"I know, Misami," Daiki said, putting up his palms in a 'calm down' motion, "That's why I asked Kisuke to help you. He can train you while the Soul Society can't have a say in it. You can become strong enough to make sure that it won't happen again."

"What if I don't feel like I've earned that redemption?" I asked, looking up into Daiki's eyes.

"Huh?"

"I...I remember what happened a week ago, Daiki," I said. "I remember everything that I did. I remember how I killed all those Soul Reapers, how I blew up the barracks and the research buildings...I _enjoyed _it, Daiki! I loved killing those people and destroying the Seireitei! I couldn't get enough of it! I couldn't stop smiling, even when I dislocated my shoulder to cut Takeshi or when he stabbed me. I barely felt any pain because was having too much fun!"

Daiki flinched, "...That doesn't change the fact that you're my friend and I want to help you."

I took a step back, looking away from both of their eyes, "I...I'm a psychopath. I enjoyed killing hundreds of Soul Reapers, people that trusted me, and you still want to help me? I...I don't understand."

"You don't have to understand yet, Misami," Daiki said softly, "Everyone in the Soul Society still misses you. They talk about you every day they have free time or when their eating lunch. The Captains are appealing to Central 46 to try and get you out of exile. No one believes that you're dangerous, they love you too much to be afraid of you. Please, _please_, just go with Kisuke."

"Shut up!" I exclaimed, tears streaming down my cheeks, "Just shut up! Idiot! I said I don't want your help!"

Then I turned around and ran through the cold night air, praying to God that neither of them would follow me. I ran through the streets, under bridges, and through parks until I reached the bridge that went over the river in the middle of the town. I looked down the river, then upstream, making sure that Daiki or Kisuke had not followed me. Satisfied, I sat down under the shadows of the bridge all alone. I drew up my legs to my chest, hugged my shins and laid my head to rest on my knees. I felt slightly warmer, but not much better at all. Then I started to cry, warm tears that soon turned to biting ice with a gust of bitter wind. I clenched my teeth, sobbing as another headache overwhelmed my skull. My grip around my shins tightened even more, as I folded in on myself to try and escape my agony. Why sound I deserve comfort, or friends? All I am is a monster, so why even try to make people like me?

_Misami...Master...You really need to just suck it up, _Hikari suddenly said, starting off tentatively only to end bitterly.

_H-Hikari? _I blinked at the sudden hardness of my Zanpakuto's tone.

_You've been through worse, been called worse, and have done worse things then this, _Hikari said, sounding uncharacteristically irritated, _I will not allow you to wallow in self pity and call yourself a monster. You need to toughen up and deal with it, or you'll die from the common cold like a rat. _

_I-I... _I started to say, but was cut off.

_You need to just let it go, _Hikari said, sounding disappointed, _You'll live, Master, because your better then what you're saying. Don't belittle yourself when everyone around you has put so much trust in you. _

_I...Okay, Hikari, _I thought back, _I'm sorry..._

_No need to apologize, I'm just glad that that's over with, _my sword responded.

The dark sky seemed lighter then the last time I had looked at it, but there was still a heavy weight on my heart. That lead weight was the guilt of over four hundred murders that I had _enjoyed_. It was like the Hollow's will and mine were the same, or the Hollow inside me had altered my will to suit it's purpose. I know that I wasn't like Ichigo when he had to deal with this, since I wasn't able to regain control of my body. Instead of resisting the Hollow's control, like the orange haired captain of Squad Five, I hadn't the will to resist. When my body started to move on its own, without any command from me, I couldn't do anything but watch. The expressions of the ones that I loved and cared about contorted into shock and confusion, then to horror as they realized that I was not the same as they once knew me. I had watched as they all backed up and gave me space with the air around me grew thick with a Hollow laced spiritual pressure. The black, flame-like spiritual pressure that coated the ground and my skin looked just like Ichigo's Bankai spiritual pressure, but with white as it's accent instead of the dark red. I had seen, through my eyes what my expression had been throughout the entire ordeal. There had been a reflective surface that had allowed me to see what I looked like during the incident. My bangs had shielded my excited and bloodthirsty eyes, my sinister grin on full display. Now the entire Soul Society knew my dark side. They knew that I had an active Hollow essence inside of my soul that could take over at anytime it had an opportunity. They feared me, since they knew next to nothing about me and my limitations. They feared the unknown about me, along with the power that I could wield.

I stood up under the bridge, the clouds of grey starting to gather. Even in the low light of the night, I could see that there was a storm coming. The air was ripe with sadness, and I wasn't immune to its sickness. I couldn't help but feel alone despite Hikari's encouragement and companionship. The darkness and thought of dealing with more rain made it hard to feel happy. My guilt hung over me like a storm cloud of its own, holding me down with its weight.

I started to walk. Slowly, at first, but I picked up my pace so that I wasn't dragging my feet. I was visible to the humans since I was wearing a Gigai. Said Gigai was designed to restrict my movement, as well as my spiritual powers, so I was effectively a normal human sixteen year old. Though, I doubted that every teenager had white hair that went down to their hips, or knew how to fight as well as I did, or had lived for centuries upon centuries. There was a couple that was strolling together in the pre-dawn hours, holding hands and giggling happily without a care in the world. They took one look at me, and their laughter died. Pity gripped their expressions and the male shunned the eyes of the female as he took her the other way. The way that lead away from me.

I diverted my course to reach the river bank, so that I could look at the relatively still waters. I had bags under my eyes from lack of sleep, a defeated, sad look in my eyes. My white hair was knotted and messy, just as it looked back when I was in the slums of Hanging Dog. It looked as though I had never seen a brush in my life, much less knew how to use one. It was greasy and hopelessly dirty, with some parts of my hair actually being more towards the color of brown or black because of the filth that was in it. My clothes were faring no better. In fact, they were probably worse. I had been wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, a pain t-shirt, a pair of brownish combat-looking boots, with a jacket that was a size too big. A week of living on the streets of Karakura Town, running away from muggers and bad men, and falling over and over again due my exhaustion had taken its toll on them. There was holes all over my jeans, dirt and grime smeared onto them and my exposed skin. The jacket I was wearing was torn and just as dirty, the sleeves coming past my hands and making me look like a little kid. The boots had held up surprisingly well, but they were even more dirtier then my clothes since they were the first thing to get grime on them. The t-shirt had ended up just like the rest of my "new" clothes, holey and dirty beyond hope.

I looked like an orphaned street child that had run away from God knew where. I cringed, flinching away from my image. Now that I thought about it, there was a look of shear pity in Daiki's eyes when he had talked to me earlier. Kisuke had covered his face from few, so I couldn't tell if my appearance had affected him at all, though I doubted it. What was weird for me was how much Daiki was visiting me. He tried once a night, when I was at my weakest, to appeal for me to stay at the shady store owner's place until the incident was resolved. What I couldn't believe was that his Captain, the seemingly stricter of the captains, would let him do something like that. Or was he disobeying his orders and endangering himself as a result? I just wish he would stop worrying about me so that I wouldn't have to worry about him. Even as I thought that, I knew it was cruel, but it was true. I had too much on my mind that was stressing me out to have to worry about what was going on back in the Soul Society. I had to think of how I was going to get my next meal, or when I was going to have to sneak into the next store to steal that food, and then I would have to worry about finding a place that was safe enough to where I could sleep without the thought of an evil person somehow kidnapping me while I was unconscious. Why couldn't this all end?

I sighed, gripping my right upper arm with my left hand and rubbing it to try and keep my body temperature up. Also I was rubbing it due to the wound that was healing there. I had had to get into a fight with another street kid over the food that I had stolen. He'd tried to steal the plastic bag of shoplifted goods from me while I was catching my breath in an alley. I had closed my eyes and leaned my head on the brick wall I was sitting against as I rested in the shadows of that alley. The poor boy had no idea that I had been a well respected fighter and warrior in the place I had been exiled from, but I hadn't known how much weaker I was. I knew what to do with my limbs, but I was too slow. The boy had gotten in an impressive hit on my right upper arm and ran off with my food, a cocky look on his face.

I shook my head from the memories of this morning, trying to keep my mind from straying to the pessimistic side of things. I still had my body relatively intact, I had gotten food not to much later, and I was currently breathing. There were no Hollows to attack me, since I had next to no spiritual pressure thanks to the limiting Gigai I was wearing.

At least I hadn't had to fight over my life, or something drastic like that. I had had to run away from my fair share of kidnapping perverts, since I was still apparently attractive despite my dirtied appearance. I just really wished that all of this was some sort of sick nightmare, and that I was going to wake up and forget all about it.

"Y'know, I'm not as bad as everyone makes me out to be, Misami," Kisuke's voice said behind me.

Startled, I flinched away from the voice, turning around to face him with a neutral expression, "Kisuke? What are you doing here?"

Kisuke chuckled, "That's not exactly important right now. I came here to offer you a deal."

"Of course," I said venomously, "And you probably have an ulterior motive from it, too."

"Not true!" Kisuke pointed out, "It's actually very beneficial to me, as well as the Soul Society."

"What is it?" I groaned, thinking that I really didn't have anything else to do other then listen to the candy store owner for at least a little bit.

"I can train you to control your Hollow," Kisuke said, grinning under his hat.

* * *

Takeshi punched another hole in the walls of the Seireitei. He was so angry that he could scarcely control himself. It had been a week and a half since they had exiled his only real friend into the World of the Living and handed him over to Squad Two for observation. They kept on sending Daiki to observe Misami, in case she snapped again and started killing humans. All Takeshi was able to do was sit around or train continually. He would do exercises, spar with wooden swords, and every other thing that he could think of so that he could distract himself from the utter hopelessness he felt over the incident with the white haired Kuchiki. Even Rukia and Ichigo couldn't do anything, their hands tied with the absolute authority of Central 46.

Takeshi hated the fact that he couldn't do anything to come to the aid of his friend. He was forced to stay in the jurisdiction of Squad Two under the threat of expulsion back to Hueco Muendo. He didn't think that when-if-Misami was allowed back home in the Soul Society, the white haired Soul Reaper would be happy with him at that point. The other major reason that he didn't want to go back was he would have to deal with his three rogue pupils alone. Not that he was afraid or anything, he knew every way to exploit their weaknesses, but it would be extremely tiresome to have to deal with all of them at the same time. And he didn't want to have to deal with the Soul Society from the outside, to have to possibility of being hunted by his former allies because Central 46 feared him. It would also be too annoying, and would end up being a long war.

"Takeshi?" Nel's voice sounded behind the Arrancar, "What're you doing?"

"I..." Takeshi blinked, the wall being demolished with his knuckles bloodied and split.

Nel set her expression to something that resembled 'upset', "Hmph, what would Misami think if she saw that?"

"She'd...be mad?" Takeshi said, confusion in his tone.

"Of course!" Nel exclaimed, "So stop it!"

"Um...Right..." Takeshi said, pulling back his fist from where he had been punching the wall.

"Good!" Nel smiled, "Now come with me."

With a flourish, Nel turned around and started towards Squad Five's Barracks. There had been an agreement that Takeshi could only leave Squad Two's Barracks when he was escorted but someone that was as strong or stronger then him. This was to safeguard against him going berserk in the Seireitei like a certain white haired exile. Nel, undoubtedly, was at least as strong as Takeshi as the former Third Espada. The air about the Seireitei was tense to say the least, any mention of Hollows bringing up images of a psychotic Misami tearing through the ranks of Soul Reapers as if they were paper. The people that lived in the Seireitei looked at Takeshi with contempt, as though it was all his fault that Misami had gone berserk and slaughtered half a thousand Soul Reapers. Seated Officers sometimes would reach of their swords as if they would strike Takeshi down on sight. Of course that wouldn't do much, with Takeshi's skin making it impossible to be cut unless there was a Soul Reaper with Lieutenant level spiritual pressure. Nel didn't seem to notice their looks, humming happily to herself.

They left Squad Two and entered into Squad Five without much opposition. There still was the fact that both Nel and Takeshi had their Hollow masks making them stand out. They were the target of everyone's hatred, since Misami wasn't here for it. Almost every single Soul Reaper had been affected by the incident a week ago, all having lost a friend or family member as a result of the small Kuchiki's rampage. Ichigo and Rukia had had their fair share of threatening messages, saying that bad things would happen to them id they didn't let them punish Misami for what she did. Takeshi cringed at this thought.

The Soul Reapers of the Seireitei adored Misami, having sent love letters, staring at her beauty, and everything else people do when they idolize someone. There had been nothing that she had done wrong to them, and she was kind to anyone that spared the time to get to know her. The reason why her reputation as the best there could be was now the polar opposite was the rumors. There were rumors that had been floating around her presence that she was cursed, or that she had a dark side that terrified people. With the added fact that almost nothing about her was known before she walked through the Academy's halls, it was easy to give credit to those rumors. With the incident, those rumors had become the anthems of the Seireitei's hatred for the white haired Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid.

"Fight me," Nel suddenly said.

Takeshi blinked, his adrenaline started to pump at the mere mention of fighting, "Huh?"

"You heard me," Nel said, her expression starting to become more and more indifferent, almost blank, "I want you to fight me."

Takeshi looked around and saw that they were in the wide open arenas of Squad Five. Nel's hand was on the hilt of her sword, her stance slightly widened in a fighting stance. The squad members, though sneering, backed away from the two Arrancars. The air began to grow dense with the rising of the two respective spiritual pressures. Nel was suddenly deadly serious, especially compared to her normal personality. Did she always act like this, and was just acting before. Takeshi hadn't expected much from the Arrancar, since he always saw her reading a book when she was alone. Of course, he shouldn't have underestimated the green haired girl, starting with the first reason: The three tattooed onto her back. She was the Third Espada for a reason.

Nel burst forwards, her sword singing through the air. Takeshi's blade flew up to block out of reflex, the two swords clashing with a shower of sparks. The shock wave from the collision of the two Stronger-then-Captain Arrancar slammed into a nearby shed of supplies and leveled the structure. Neither fighter seemed to notice the damage and continued to strike at one another. Nel's now almost passive expression was the least of Takeshi's worries, now that her bade seemed to crave his flesh. He dodged, the air where his head had been cleaved through by Nel's strike.

Takeshi growled, grinning as he slashed at Nel in return. Using his strength as a focal point of his strategy, he lashed out with his sword in order to gain the initiative. Nel dodged his strikes, blocking the last one. What she didn't expect was for the Arrancar she was facing to plant a foot in her gut with a kick. She flew back with an almost confused look on her face. She slammed into the wall on the far side of the area that they had chosen to fight, the stone collapsing with the impact. Soul Reapers that thought that they were safe watching from the fight behind those walls scattered. Most of them had a slight difficulty in breathing with the amount of spiritual pressure that the Arrancar was putting out, so getting away took more of a priority then getting a good vantage point. Takeshi was charging up a Cero the entire time, the sound of the gathering energy filling his ears.

Nel stood slowly, her face impassive and uncaring. She held her sword limply at her side, as if she had no intention of using it. Takeshi took the opportunity to charge up the Cero even more while she did so, the beam coalescing into a massive ball. Then, with the discharge of the attack, the Cero raced for its target. Nel's hand slowly rose , her palm out as if to stop the beam in its tracks. Takeshi almost wished that he had two blades like a certain white-haired Hollow-Soul Reaper hybrid, so he could attack Nel while she was guarding against his Cero. Almost. It wasn't exactly his style to use cheap tactics like that, preferring to simply win with brute force. So because of that, he put even more power into his Cero.

The beam slammed into Nel with enough force to blow away the rubble of the wall she was standing. The ground below the beam became a valley in the shape of the bottom of the attack. Nel grunted in effort, the ground not supporting her as she slide back from the force of the Cero. She dug into the ground with her heels, the stone cracking from the pressure. She was driven back a good ten feet before the attack was finished, panting slightly from the effort she had to put into stopping the beam. Takeshi, though weary himself from making that massive beam, wasn't about to miss this opportunity.

He charge forwards, grinning happily as he brought his sword down. Nel blocked it with an almost instinctual precision, the ear-wrenching sound of metal clashed sang. Soul Reaper went to find their Captain, hoping that Ichigo would be able to stop the two of them. As it happened, Takeshi could sense the carrot-top's spiritual pressure heading towards the two of them. He knew that the Squad Five Captain would try and stop the fight when he arrived, most likely followed by his petite wife from the same family as Misami. Nel took advantage of Takeshi's hesitation and slashed with her sword.

She was able to get in a good, deep gash before Takeshi jerked back and away from her blade. He twisted before he hit the ground, planting his feet onto the ground and pushing up with all of his strength. He soared into the air, and twisted around again to face his opponent. Nel was already over the Arrancar, slashing out with her face emotionless. She offered no window into her true feelings as she struck out against him. Takeshi blocked the attack, striking out with his free hand in an attempt to surprise Nel with a Hakuda technique that he'd seen Misami use in some of her sparring matches. Nel took the hit, but it didn't seem to have any sort of affect on her. She continued to slash and attack over and over and over again. She never seemed to tire, never seemed to strain or get exhausted. Takeshi hadn't been allowed to fight, save for his two matches against Kenpachi and Misami, so his skills were unrefined and offered no advice other then that of brute strength. Keeping with that, all Takeshi seemed to have in his arsenal of attacks was the rudimentary slices and punches with a Cero here and there. Nel, still showing not even an iota of emotion as she attacked, was hitting him from all sides and overwhelming him.

Soon, very soon, he was going to falter.

Then, just when the fated second was about to pass, Nel stopped her assault. Takeshi had long been slammed into the ground, so he had to stumble to his feet once the green-haired Espada had ceased in her onslaught. He coughed up a decent amount of blood, wiping away the trail of crimson that had leaked from the corner of his mouth as he looked puzzled at Nel

"What's wrong?" He asked blankly, "Why'd you stop?"

Nel looked away, avoiding eye contact with the Arrancar she had effectively beaten up for no apparent reason. Takeshi cocked an eyebrow, looking around the courtyard that they had been fighting in. There were craters and smoking husks of former structures that had been demolished in the fight, which were more of his fault then that of the green haired girl in front of him. He had been the one that had been firing Ceros and using a little more strength then he needed in a fight against Nel. The wind picked up sightly and whisked up Nel's hair in the breeze, much like what Misami's white locks tended to do in similar weather. He wondered to himself what had caused this sudden onset of fighting spirit in the usually care-free and light-hearted Arrancar. Takeshi couldn't guess for the life of him what was going through the girl's head at that moment.

That is until she turned back towards him with an almost loving look in her eyes.

"Are you...feeling better?" Nel asked, smiling.

"Wait, what?" Takeshi said, confused.

"I was worried about you, dummy!" Nel giggled, "You were so worried about Misami that you were punching walls down and muttering to yourself!"

"Why did you fight me, Nel?" Takeshi asked, dumbstruck.

"So you could take your mind off of Misami, of course!" Nel smiled again, taking a step closer to the Arrancar, "If I didn't do anything, then you would have done something really stupid."

"Nel...Why?" Takeshi was at a loss.

"Silly! Don't you remember?" Nel said, then a very familiar voice from a long ago time came from her lips, "Because Nel likes Takeshi!"

* * *

I shivered in the confines of the cardboard box that was my home for the night, drawing the cloth of my over sized, tattered jacket to combat the cold once again. The night was as harsh as ever, this time because of the clouds that brought the rains that were soaking the world around me. The winds, at least, had stopped battering the side of my makeshift shelter. Hikari kept on chiming in with words of encouragement. I clenched my jaw and rubbed my hands over any exposed skin to keep warm. The concrete beneath me was losing its heat from the previous day's sunlight. I flinched as a sharp pain emerged from my palm.

I had been clenching my hands too much, and the object in my grasp had drawn blood. I looked down at the object, never ceasing in my miserable trembling. The Soul Reaper Combat pass that was so well known to me. Ichigo had shown it to me a long time ago, and I knew every line engraved into the wooden badge. The stylized image of a skull in the diamond shaped block was what Kisuke had given me. A small trickle of blood was in the perimeter grooves of the badge, the rest was slowly running down my hand. I sighed.

That pass was the ultimatum that Kisuke had given me. Use the combat pass and release myself from the limiting Gigai I was forced into. Or ignore the chance and accept my fate. The choice was to fight, to defy the orders I was given, or to lay down and let the Soul Reaper inside me die along with the Hollow. I knew nothing of how to move up in this world I was suffering in. I doubted anyone would accept me for work, so that I could make enough money to live off of. But I had never purposely disobeyed an order given to me by a superior, for fear that I would bring dishonor on the Kuchiki name. I didn't know what to choose when Kisuke proposed it, so I declined to answer. His answer to mine was the pass. Before he had left me there in the cold of the past night, he'd told me something that I shouldn't have known.

The Gigai that the Soul Society was forcing me to wear was eating away at my soul.

They were attempting to do something that Aizen himself made sure that was impossible. They were trying to separate the Hollow within me from my being. I knew that it couldn't be done, since the Hollow _was _me and I was the Hollow. I had less then a month to decide whether to die a human, or life as a monster. I clenched my teeth, my mind sinking deeper and deeper into darkness. Then, suddenly, the world changed.

Gone were the dreary buildings and rainy weather. I was now in a desert that had sands of the purest white. Black pillars, their edges now flickering with shadowy flames. I blinked, seeing the rolling dunes for the first time in a month. The last time that I had visited my inner world. I understood this land now, the reason behind it's appearance. The sands were my soul, ever-changing but always as pure as they could be. The dark pillars were the result of my Hollow's will. They had long reached into the sky, turning it to an eternal night that would never go away, a reminder of the fact that hung over my head of what I really was. The sands that were engulfed into the black pillars, which were actually holes into another part of my soul where my darkness lay, represented the parts of my innocent and pure soul that were slowly being devoured and taken over by the will of the Hollow within me. What lay inside that darkness was never to be known, lest I stare into it long enough to become one with it. I could only postpone the inevitable. Sometime in the future, I feared that I would become as heartless and cold as the Hollow essence inside me.

I looked around the vast and empty sands of my inner world, searching for my Zanpakuto. I found her, her white hair matching mine, standing atop a tall dune with a saddened look on her face. Instinctual, I looked to the opposite side of me, finding another female spirit. She was the exact opposite of Hikari. She wore a black kimono, which was hopelessly tattered and ruined, and had an aura of darkness that painted the sands at her feet as black as sin. Her feet were bare, her pale skin crisscrossed by scars. Her eyes were red, almost glowing from their evil intentions, her face framed by black hair. My angel and my demon were standing before me, the two beings that knew me better then I could ever know myself.

"Hello, Master," Hikari said warmly.

"**Hey there, Princess**," Hollow Hikari said with a wry grin.

"What am I doing here?" I asked, looking to the both of them. "I didn't mean to come here..."

"We've forced you here to plead our case," Hikari said, "For you to choose to fight."

"**Going down without a fight isn't exactly you're style, Princess**," Hollow Hikari chimed in with a smirk.

I looked at the two of them, "Why? It's not like I could do anything to stop either the Soul Society or the Vasto Lorde."

"You're wrong there," Hikari said, "You didn't get exiled out of Hueco Muendo, did you?"

I blinked, "No...What are you getting at?"

"**They want to control you and me, right? Why don't we let them think that, eh?**" Hollow Hikari said with a sly smile that reminded me of Kisuke.

"You're the reason that I'm exiled to begin with," I glared at the Hollow version of Hikari.

"**You flatter me, Princess. I want to control you, yes. But I have to make sure that you are alive long enough for me to do that, don't I?**" The black haired Zanpakuto said.

I stared at the black haired half of my Zanpakuto, anger flaring in my gut. She was the reason I was in this misery, and she's proud of it? I couldn't believe how annoying she was, how arrogant she seemed. She obviously embodied the dark side of me, the arrogant and bloodthirsty part of me that I had to suppress for my entire life. Now she was suggesting I completely throw away my pride and the reputation of the Kuchiki and go to Hueco Muendo? How exactly did she think that that would help my situation.

"What am I supposed to do in Hueco Muendo?" I asked the Zanpakuto pair.

"Join the Vasto Lorde," Hikari said flatly.

"Come again," I said, disbelieving.

"**Join the Hollows**," Hollow Hikari said, another grin cracking on her sinister features.

I blinked. Join the enemy, the ones that had been the reason I had been able to remember the horrors of my past? If it weren't for the Vasto Lorde's meddling in things that should die quietly, I would have had no trouble living a normal life with my only worries being the damages Takeshi and Kenpachi would cause during their fighting. I wouldn't remember the torture, the starvation, the solitude that Aizen put me through for the sake of experimentation. If I hadn't had to remember all of that, I wouldn't have to resist cringing or flinching every time I heard the number twenty three. Without the Vasto Lorde's attempts at reawakening my Hollow and taking over the Soul Society in retaliation for something that wasn't even a viable reason, I could be resting peacefully in my garden with my only grievance being that I hadn't invited Rukia to join me. And my Zanpakuto, knowing this better then anyone, just suggested that I _join _them?

I growled out a response, "Why would they even let me join them? They would just capture me and put me through all of that crap again."

"**Not if they think that they're controlling you through me**," The black haired side of my Zanpakuto pointed out, "**All they want is for you to be on their side, since they know what you can do thanks to Aizen's reports**."

"I thought Daiki snatched those on his way to break us out?" I asked, thankful for the temporary diversion from the main topic.

Hikari shook here head, her skin luminous, "No, Daiki only was able to grab two or three papers, and they were merely outlines of what you were and the 'catalysts' that Aizen was using on you."

"'Catalysts'?" I repeated.

"The 'crap Aizen put you through'," Hikari said, making air quotes.

"Oh," I said, then groaned as I went back to the dreaded topic, "So how exactly am I supposed to act to make them think that you're controlling me?"

"**Oh, it won't really be acting per say**," Hollow Hikari, "**I'll be...helping you out with that.**"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, giving her a scrutinizing look.

"**You'll see...**" The dark sword spirit said with a knowing grin.

Then the world went black as the night sky.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing, idiot?!" Soi Fon's stern tone erupted into the air.

Daiki turned around slowly, "I'm going to check on my friend."

"You need to realize that she's been _exiled_, fool!" Soi Fon made no attempt to conceal her ire, seeing as it was just the two of them in her office.

"What does it matter if she's exiled?" Daiki said defiatly, "If you'd known where Yoruichi was, you'd have done whatever you could to see her."

"You don't have the right to say that!" Soi Fon growled, her hand moving for her sword.

"What will that accomplish?" Daiki said, sighing, "It'll just end with both of us sweaty and bloody and exactly where we are now. Until Misami's back in the Soul Society, I'm not going to stop trying to help her!"

"..." Soi Fon shook her head, "Did you ever think that going to see her everyday will only drive her away? Or, at the very least, make everyone suspicious of her and you?"

Daiki blinked, "What are you talking about?"

Soi Fon turned away from her Lieutenant, sitting down next to a small table and taking a sip of the herbal tea the mysterious Soul Reaper had brought. Daiki had been meaning to only drop off the tea to help his Captain stay awake, since she'd been working on a small crisis that had caused an influx of paperwork. After he'd dropped off the tea, he was going to try and convince Misami to go to Kisuke again. He worried for his best friend, seeing as she was going through a pretty hard time living on the streets of Karakura Town. The people of the Soul Society had shown him scorn for his choice to support the "White-Haired Demon", the Soul Reaper murderer. Soi Fon, though with her usual scowl, had been trying for the past week to try and convince him that it wasn't such a good idea to aid his friend. Daiki himself, didn't know what to do anymore, since his efforts seemed to have no affect on his best friend's mind.

"She's blaming herself for what happened two weeks ago," Soi Fon said, looking away and out the window as she spoke, "With the way that she is, trying to help her will only result in her hating herself anymore. She thinks that only she should bare the guilt of her actions, since that was all she could do before she became a Soul Reaper. That's why you need to just let her cool down, let her figure out when it's time for her to come back."

Daiki scoffed, "That's the most I've ever heard you talk, Captain...Maybe someone spiked your tea or something..."

"Shut up, fool," Soi Fon growled, "Regardless, I forbid you, as your Captain, from going to the World of the Living to supply your own personal vendetta. Is that understood?"

Daiki looked away this time, "...Yes, Captain."

"Good," Soi Fon said, taking another sip of her tea, "Now, I need you to attend to your duties. If you're anything like Omaeda, you've probably only finished one or two of them and went off to talk to Misami Kuchiki."

Daiki shook his head, "I already finished them, Captain."

Soi Fon shot him a look, "The sun hasn't even been up for two hours, Lieutenant. Why would you lie to me?"

"I'm not, Captain," Daiki said, shaking his head, "It's just that I have been raised to be able to go a long time without sleeping, so I've been working every chance so that they would be done."

"Why would you're parents want you to...?" soi Fon said, but Daiki interupted.

"I've never met my parents," Daiki said, looking away again, "And before you ask, I'd rather not talk about it."

Soi Fon's mouth closed, then opened again, "Fine, then. I have another assignment for you."

"Name it, Captain," Daiki said, as if on command.

"Sit," She said tersely.

"Ma'am?" Daiki inquired.

"You heard me," Soi Fon said, "I want you to sit next to me. I want to learn more about my Lieutenant."

* * *

"Why hello there, Miss Kuchiki!" Kisuke's cheerful voice rang out like a doorbell the instant I walked into his store, "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Shut up, Kisuke," I rolled my eyes as I walked past the doors of the Urahara Shop, "I can sense the tracking device that was following me."

Kisuke's head cocked sideways in momentary confusion, "It's an inanimate object, that shouldn't be possible, y'know...Especially when you've just gotten out of your Gigai."

"It may be, but you've messed with it so much that your spiritual pressure was all over it," I explained dismissively.

It had been four or five hours since my intervention with the two halves of my Zanpakuto. Through their avid defense of Kisuke's sanity, as well as his way being the only way that I was supposed to survive this ordeal and make it to the world of Hueco Muendo, I'd used the combat pass and returned to my Soul Reaper form. It took a good ten minutes or so until I was used to being able to use those powers again. But now that I was used to the powers of a Soul Reaper, it was child's play to Flash Step across town to the shady Urahara Shop. The people that had made the Limiter Gigai, something that was tailored to someone of my...species, had done their job well. For the week and a half that I had had to wear the Gigai, I had had only the physical attributes of a girl with my physical age and stature. Since my body type was admittingly shorter then average, as well as the fact that I had far more skill and strength then the average person, I'd been afforded slightly above average physical stamina. The issue, however, was that my weakness from what I'd gone through with the seals and the Vasto Lorde had transferred over as well, and left me with only enough strength to walk. My Shihakusho was unchanged from the last time that I'd been out of a Gigai, with the only modifications being the shortening of the sleeves so that they went just past the middle of my upper arms. I still had my white scarf. The high-rising, slightly-tattered cloth obscured my chin and neck from view. The one thing that was different from the last time that I had been in my Soul Reaper form was the absence of the white Kuchiki tekko my brother had given me.

I'd returned them to Byakuya before my sentence of exile was put into effect. He had protested with a stern face that he would always consider me a member of his family, saying that it was nearly insulting that I would ask for him to take them back. I'd insisted, making a promise that I meant with all my heart. I vowed on my life that the only time that I was going to wear those tekko again was when the Vasto Lorde were dead and the dishonor I'd brought upon the Kuchiki was wiped away. Until then, I would be able to see my brother.

"So!" Kisuke interupted my train of thought with an excited tone, "Are you ready to train, Misami?"

I nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be..."

Kisuke nodded and turned towards the back of the shop and started to walk. I grudgingly followed, still not totally comfortable with the idea of Kisuke training me when there was a glint in his eye that screamed "Ulterior Motive!". The dark hallways of the shop sent chills down my spine, the week and a half of running away from less-than-desirable characters having scarred my sense of trust in the darkness. The ironic thing was that I jumped into the safety of the shadows the instant that I heard a sudden loud noise. Kisuke laughed, I sneered, but we continued on.

We found ourselves descending down a ladder that lead towards an enormous, yet completely familiar looking cave. It was exactly like the training grounds that Yoruichi had used to train me in how to use my Flash Step right, as well as where Kisuke had helped me with my Shikai's development. The deceptively bright blue sky of the roof of the cave made the massive training ground look as though bathed in sunlight. There was a small pile of supplies near the bottom of the tall ladder we were climbing down, none of them looking familiar in the slightest. There were things that looked like weapons, boxes with tarps hiding their contents from view, and changes of clothes. Maybe he was planning on us being here a long time?

"Alright," I said as we reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped onto solid ground, "Now what? What's going to let me control my Hollow?"

Kisuke looked away a small chuckle rising from his chest as he headed towards the pile of supplies. He seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much, as if he couldn't wait to see what the fruits of his labor were going to be. I grit me teeth, I'd heard that small chuckle, knew that energized look in his eyes. The Captain of Squad Twelve had those eyes every single time he looked at me, his fists unclenching and clenching every so often in a subtle attempt to stave off the energy he got from thinking about me. His intentions towards me couldn't be more clear, that he was planning something that involved experiments on me as a result. Men like these mentioned Soul Reapers were something that I despised with a passion. They did whatever was needed to get what they want. And what they wanted was to advance in there knowledge. If their ambitions were aimed towards something as simple as money, maybe they wouldn't have done some of the things that they were guilty of. But there was one man that I hated more then any other. He made Kisuke and Kurotsuchi look like mere nuisances compared to the contempt and spite I had towards the criminal that was the ultimate reason why I had gone through so much.

_Aizen_. The man that had stolen me when I was a newborn soul. Starved me, tortured me, and laced my food with drugs. He forced me to run from Hollows, solve mazes with almost no sleep, and go weeks without seeing another soul. For years and years, I was forced to deal with the horror that that...monster put me through. I was what I was today because of him, all of my fears branching from the terrifying experiences that I had lived through for a good portion of my childhood. Not to mention that I had to live for hundreds of years in the slums of the Soul Society, scraping out an existence, plagued by the nightmare that was my life. It was all I could do just to survive and stay sane in the abyss of my life. Did he even know what he'd done to me? Did he even care how much he messed me up in the head? It had taken me over a thousand years to fully trust someone. Because of him, I was scared of darkness. But that very darkness made me feel safe because it was a part of me. I had been forced to stare into the abyss for too long.

Now the darkness was a mirror.

"You hear me, Misami?" Kisuke asked, his head inclined in concern.

I blinked, "No what were we talking about?"

"I was telling you what I was going to have you do," Kisuke said, "Y'know, so you can control that Hollow of your's."

I blinked again, "What is it?"

Kisuke smiled again, a knowing smile that I didn't exactly know I felt about it. When he spoke, I stepped back in surprise at his words. Of all the things that I thought he was going to suggest, that was one of the few that I didn't expect would be the answer. I could hear the Hollow side of my Zanpakuto spirit laughing almost maniacally in the background.

"You're going to train for your Bankai," Kisuke had said, then he attacked me with his sword.


	21. The Demon Descends

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm happy to announce that I was able to keep writing this daily until it was finished! I stayed up past midnight the a little bit ago to finish that majority of it. I's actually pretty happy with how this turned out, thank you very much! I hope that I will be able to finish the next chapter of my other story soon in order to get back to this amazing story! I enjoy writing this story quite a lot, but reading you guys' feed back is definately the bast part! So please leave a review for this one! Favorite and Follow if you haven't already so you can get updates on when I finally get to upload my chapters! Enjoy!**

**Thank you, 534667lc, for reviewing! Yup! The Bankai of Misami Tsukino Kuchiki will soon be revealed! I hope that you enjoy this next chapter, and you're welcome! I eagerly await your next review!**

**Thank you, Fraustowantstobattle, for reviewing!(Twice!) I don't know who you meant when you said "trey" in you're first review, since that isn't my name or penname, but thank you for the offer of being my beta-reader! I don't exactly know how Fanfiction works as far as beta-reading is concerned, but I'll be in touch with you when I finish this arc and put this series under maintenance in order to polish it up. As for your second review, YES. REALLY! BWahahahahahaha-*cough*...anyways, enjoy the next chapter! I eagerly await your next review! **

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Bleach, only the story, ideas, plot, and my many OCs. **

The dark air of Hueco Muendo filled the nostrils of the three Vasto Lorde as they sent orders to their minions. The monitors that were left by the Espada of the Aizen regime were very useful in finding information that they would need to win against the Soul Society. They were prepared to defeat even the imposing Ichigo and the Head Captain himself in order to win, since they all had an ace up their sleeves. Since the experiment with the white haired Subject 23 hadn't turned out as successful as they'd hoped, since they were only able to awaken her Hollow side instead of control it, that just meant one less thing that they could use. But the idea so have such a powerful ally in their ranks, someone that might very well be powerful enough to defeat Ichigo Kurosaki, was definitely tempting. There were other things among the wreckage of Aizen's palace, so one setback didn't overly concern the three Vasto Lorde.

Zanpakuto that had been modified and experimented on so that they could be used by Hollows with enough power, technology that could destroy whole blocks of cities. and enough Hollows to match the Soul Society in population. This was the beginning of the end, as the three of them knew so well. For them, or for the Soul Society.

The Hollows that were in charge of keeping watch over the walls of the palace started to make an annoying racket in the background, confusion laced into their howls. Since they were Hollows of the lowest class, their worried roars fell on deaf ears as far as the Vasto Lorde were concerned. They had Adjuches and Menos Grande that they could use as cannon fodder in the case that another Vasto Lorde or an Arrancar decided to storm the palace. That had been what had happened after all, since there was a massive power grab not too long ago when all the lone-wolf Vasto Lorde challenged the three of them for the rights to their army. Of course, since they had been trained by the "Third King of Hueco Muendo" they had nothing to fear from the untrained and unfit Vasto Lorde that roamed the sands of the Hollow realm. The growls of the defeated as they were forced to pledge their loyalty to the three Vasto Lorde sounded as satisfying as the power gained from the encounter. The reputation of the army that was amassing was growing by the day.

Since they were going against the entirety of the Soul Society, it was seen as a ludicrous idea. Especially with the fact that Hollows were forming an army that could be compared to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. That was the opinion of the Hollows that were capable of speech and thought, while the lesser Hollows just knew to fear the army and its power. The Menos Grande were an exception to this, since they were a composition of the will of many lesser Hollows after all, the fact that they merely needed the command from a Hollow of higher status to be compelled to join. The only problem that the three Vasto Lorde had with forcing Menos Grande into their army was making enough Gargantas to fit all of the army through them and into the Soul Society.

The frantic howling of the look-out Hollows grew louder and even more irritating. Now that their attention was peaked, all three of them wondering what could possibly cause such a commotion, the three Vasto Lorde left the control room that they used to plan and headed for the source of the noise. The darkness as a result of the eternal night was all but taken for granted by the Vasto Lorde. They had been living in the palace for five hundred years, planning and massing their army in the blind spot of the Soul Society, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

As it turned out, that time was now since Subject 23 had all but destroyed a fourth of the Seireitei. The Court Guard Squads were as understaffed and vulnerable as they had been in centuries. Add in the factor that the relative peace had made the amount of new recruits slow to just barely enough to replace the ones that retired. The lead Vasto Lorde had chosen the end of the week as the day that they would strike against the Soul Society with all of this in mind. Now, it was only a matter of getting everything ready for the inevitable attack.

The three Vasto Lorde reached the walls of the palace, looking out over the sands of the Hollow world. There was a figure in the distance, the wind of the desert area around her blowing the cloak and scarf it wore in the wind along with it's white hair. The way that it moved forwards, the assertion of its gait made it seem as though it was a monarch. It was, strangely, an awe inspiring and mysterious sight. That is, if the three Vasto Lorde cared for something such as that. They looked over to the Hollows that had been in charge of security in the area, in which it responded by quickly explaining that the figure had slaughtered every Hollow that they had sent after it. That it didn't even seem to be bothered by them, even though there were some Adjuches class that had been dispatched.

The figure drew closer and closer without faltering in its step. White hair glowed in the pale light of the moon, the pale sands around the figure making it even more luminous. The breeze that constantly blew the sands of Hueco Muendo, creating the dunes that were scattered across the world, blew the twin tails of its scarf as well. The dead and dying corpses of the unfortunate Hollows that had been sent were littering the lands around it as it moved forwards at a leisurely pace. It didn't even break its stride when another Hollow attacked it. Bisecting that Hollow with an almost casual slash, the figure was coated in blood and gore. The white grit around it was stained crimson with the blood of the slaughtered.

As it drew closer, Flamun felt a sense of surprise as he realized who it was. Torak instantly started rambling about how he wished to fight the figure due to their collaborative experince. Agramon only made the fact known that it was suspicious of the entire situation. The three of them were the three main components of their old master Takeshi Yagami. Torak was the strength, Agramon was the skill, and Flamun was the battle tactical genius. Flamun was confident in his abilities, and knew from his training that he could defeat the slowly approaching figure if it came to a confrontation. It was only a matter of finding out what it required. The air around the three grew thick with tension as they discussed what they were going to do with the white haired girl. Would they try and reason with her, convince her to join their cause with some sort of brainwashing? Or would they trick her into a trap and resume their experiments with her to try and regain control of her Hollow in order to control her? They whispered among themselves until they sensed her approach the walls of the palace.

Flamun, with the other two Vasto Lorde behind him, dropped down to the sands below to meet with the Soul Reaper.

She stopped walking once they landed right in front of them, standing with her feet half a shoulder length apart. From her body language, Flamun could tell that she had no intention of fighting the three of them, though they all knew that she could give them all a run for their money with a little anger and lack of self-control. The wind blew the tattered cloth of the Shihakusho and tan cloak that she wore. She had on black bandages that were wrapped around her fists and forearms like human boxing glove wraps. The white hair that gave away her identity covered her eyes from view with the bangs, while its knotted locks blew in the wind in time with her cloak. Her two swords were where they always were, one across her back and the other at her back with the hilt jutting out from her right hip. The midsection of her Shihakusho was gone, the tattered remnants of her top leaving her midriff exposed. There they could see the massive set of three parallel scars from her ordeal the last time she had been at this location. The scar on her cheek was a similar color, but the wound on her side was impressive. The tattered sleeves were in ruins, leaving almost nothing to cover her upper arms. There were similar black bandages on her body, which could be seen through holes in her ruined Shihakusho. On her thighs, her upper arms, her chest, and also her shins. Some of them even had the smell of recently absorbed blood. It seemed she had just finished with a fight a day or so ago.

Flamun was the first to speak, "What are you here for, Misami Kuchiki?"

The white haired girl looked up, her eyes revealed from the cloak of her bangs to display an empty and desolate expression.

"I want to join you," She said.

* * *

Daiki hadn't seen Misami for an entire week, and worry had plagued his thoughts constantly. Soi Fon had made sure that he was doing his duties, so he couldn't search for her until he was on his personal time. He had had his fair share of requests an missions to keep him busy, so much so that he thought that his Captain was giving him extra work on purpose. The squad members that were directly under him had at least worked up the courage to talk to him, something either party actually thought would happen. The rest of the Seireitei was still weary of his actions, since he was so mysterious to them.

The guards of the Senkaimon knew him very well now, since he'd gone through the gate so many times. He was rumored to be working for the Hollows since he wouldn't let anyone follow him to the Living World. Even when they did follow him, he could easily detect them with his hypersensative abilities and slip out of sight like a shadow before they could follow him for more then a block. He didn't want those Soul Reapers to know that he had been keeping tabs on Misami regardless of the orders to do the opposite. Daiki couldn't sleep at night without first making sure that Misami was alive and unharmed. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he complied with the orders given to him and Misami was hurt while he was away. At least this way, in any case, Misami wouldn't perish from a chronic wound.

Misami was always alone when he saw her, sitting in the shadow of an alley hugging her legs to her chest as she leaned against the wall. It was always dark, lonely, and depressing to see her like that. The happy, loving look that she had in her eyes when no one was looking was gone now. Her almost childish air that was around her when she had been away from her subordinates was a distant memory, her features seeming to be perpetually stagnant in a look of sadness and loneliness. There was a hint of spite and anger in her spiritual pressure, but it was primarily over-layed with stress and worry along with all the aforementioned emotions. Daiki had to restrain himself from letting her see him and sneaking her back into the Soul Society. But he knew that that would only cause problems that neither of them would want to deal with. Plus, there was the added fact that she didn't even want to return to her home anyways. Her guilt over what had happened like a force-field that she couldn't get past.

He was in charge of the reconnaissance teams of the Punishment Force, since that was the inherit duty of the Lieutenant of Squad Two. With that authority, he was able to leave the Soul Society to check up on Misami almost at will. The only requirements for his passage was a sufficient reason. Ironically, there was a massive influx of Hollows into the Living World. Because of that, Daiki could simply say that he was investigating that situation. All he had to do after that was bring back enough evidence to show that he did just as he said.

"Where are you going, Lieutenant?" Soi Fon asked just as Daiki was about to slip out of the door of his office.

"I-uh," Daiki stopped himself from speaking when he saw where Soi Fon's voice had come from.

The rafters of the office he had been issued was occupied by the Soul Reaper Captain in question. She was crouching low, suppressing her spiritual pressure in the darkness of the ceiling. Daiki turned around to face her and cocked his head side-ways. His hood as up and cloaking his features from view, but the tattered black scarf that he wore around his face to cover the rest from sight was around his neck. So Soi Fon could see the slight twitch of a frown at the corner of his mouth to infer his confusion. Being read due to his body language by a fellow assassin wasn't pleasant for him due to his upbringing.

The Captain in question was exactly the type of soul that Daiki had despised when he was in the slavery of his masters. When he was raised, there were twelve others that survived the training and brainwashing. The other hundreds perished or went mad. Daiki and the others that lived were empty shells of what they had been. From the ashes of their former selves rose their inner demons. The men that had done this to them filled their minds with an inhuman desire to kill, to have no emotion, and to feel no pain. The thirteen of them never spoke, having hollow looks that were mistaken for death glares. They had killed so many enemies of the masters' that there was no possible way for them to be human afterwards. Great warriors, Soul Reapers, and Hollows stood no chance against them. Their name was the "Thirteen Devils", and they earned it every single time that they were sent out. They were a haunting legend that plagued the nights of the Rukkon, the enemies of the crime syndicate that owned them trembling in fear when the sun fell. Daiki could remember the time he spent as nothing but killing instinct and emptiness, though it was hazy at best thanks to the brainwashing that they had done on him and his comrades.

"You were going to see her again, weren't you?" Soi Fon said, more a statement then a question.

Daiki made a _tsk _sound with a sharp exhale through slightly clenched teeth before responding, his upbringing also prohibiting lies to superiors, "Yes, Captain. Was there something that you wanted for me to do before I go?"

"Yes," Soi Fon said, dropping to the ground and landing like a cat on the wooden floorboards, "For you to not go. You know that I'll have to arrest you for consorting with an exile once someone reports it."

"I know," Daiki sighed, keeping his voice even, "But I don't like the idea of her being all alone on the streets of the World of the Living without any help."

"You do realize that she grew up like that, didn't you?" Soi Fon sounded astonished at his lack of foresight, "She had top marks in Hakuda, Hoho, and her stealth sub class. Granted she only took those classes for a little over a semester, but she should be perfectly fine on her own. Do you not trust her?"

Daiki looked away from Soi Fon's patronizing look, "...I understand where you're coming from, Captain. But it is for more of my piece of mind then for her safety. I was foolish to befriend her, especially given the fact that all of my friends have died horrifically because of me."

"Does this have to do with the things that happened before you came here, Lieutenant?" Soi Fon said, slowly walking up to him.

Daiki grit his teeth, suppressing the memories that surfaced with Soi Fon's venturing words, "...Yes, Captain."

"I see," Soi Fon said, passing Daiki and stopping just after she was out of the corner of his vision, "If you told me the entire story instead of the vague version, I might be able to understand how you feel. You know how I was raised, so you can use your skills to understand me. I, however, have only the most basic idea of the fact that you were a slave. You didn't tell me what kind of work your...masters told you to do, or how hard a life you lead before escaping, but I would appreciate it if you elaborated when you trust me enough to tell me. Until then, I can't condone what you are doing."

"I..." Daiki restrained himself from simply Flash Stepping away. "I doubt you will condone or understand my past if and when I do tell you, Captain. But I cannot be at ease until I see that she's alright."

"She's been missing for a week, Lieutenant," Soi Fon said, sighing, "I've had a team watching over her as a precaution ever since she was sent to the World of the Living. She went with Kisuke Urahara, but she hasn't left the shop ever since. We can't detect her spiritual pressure, so they've predicted that she might have somehow entered the Soul Society. But there was no illegal Senkaimon detected within the last two weeks that would have been used."

Daiki froze, turning his head to face his Captain, "Ma'am, have you been watching Kisuke as well?"

Soi Fon gave a nod, "Yes, and we have noticed a change in his daily routine that makes for time inside during the evenings and nights."

"Has there been any unusual spiritual pressure coming from his shop?" Daiki turned fully to face Soi Fon.

Soi Fon gave him a suspicious look and nodded again, "Yes...What? Do you know know what she's up to?"

Daiki looked down remembering Kisuke's promise to him. The shady shopkeeper oozed the aura of someone with a less then popular way of doing something. The dark lights of the street they had met on had cast harsh shadows on their figures as they talked. The former head of the Department of Research and Development had assured Daiki that, if Misami could be convinced to come with him, he could make her strong enough to control her Hollow essence. Daiki, extremely desperate for Misami's safety after seeing how destroyed over the exile sentence she was. The other Captains were worried in their own respects. The only exceptions were Kenpachi, Hitsugaya, and Kurotsuchi. Aside from those three, there was an air of concern for the former Third Seat of Squad Five. Ichigo and Rukia were torn up about the entire incident, having only been seen out side of work at a restaurant that the two of them frequented when they wished to be alone. Byakuya was as stern as ever, which made him seem all the more cold compared to the relatively easier going version of him that had existed with Misami present. Sure that meant that he only let one off the hook once every five hundred years or so, but that was a hundred percent more then before Misami revealed herself to the world. Daiki made sure that Soi Fon couldn't see his features as he contemplated what was going through Misami's mind.

"She's..." Daiki began, voice forcibly even, "Training for her Bankai."

Soi Fon's breath halted, the thought of such a string Soul Reaper already moving towards the legendary second release of her Zanpakuto stealing it away for a moment before she spoke again, "I see. I'll take your prediction into consideration while we search for her."

And with that, Soi Fon left the room in a soundless Flash Step, leaving Daiki to his swirling thoughts.

* * *

"You want to...join us?" Flamun forgot to disguise the suspicious tone in his voice in light of the unexpected response from the white haired girl.

She soundlessly nodded.

Flamun turned towards his comrades, projecting a questioning growl from his throat.

Torak cracked the knuckles of his claws, a hungry look in his eyes as he stared at the white haired girl. He was the embodiment of Lord Takeshi's blood-lust, so it wasn't surprising to see him wanting to fight her. He made it a point to fight with any Hollow that was strong enough to wound him before they were allowed to join their army. He was the one that they had been forced to designate the battle tester of the forces under their command, since he was going to do it on his own anyhow. It was annoying, sure, but it had additional benefits that came with the situation. It kept the army on its toes, always training and ready for a fight when the Vasto Lorde Torak was near. The lower class Hollows were forced to become skilled to survive in the army's ranks, making them far more formidable then average monsters.

Agramon shook his head, showing his disdain for the entire situation. He was the avatar of Lord Takeshi's skill and technique, something that far out shadowed anything the Menos Forest had ever seen. Above the forest there were the Espada and the remaining Vasto Lorde that could match him in those techniques, but they had to train for long periods of time to gain that skill, where Takeshi had that as well as his strength and cunning. Agramon had taken the teachings of Takeshi to heart, using his lanky limbs and frightening speed to the fullest extent to make up for his short comings in brute force. He benefited the army in the respect of keeping them alert. He was always observing his forces from the shadows of Las Noches, so they were inherently paranoid at all hours of the eternal night. He was given charge of the reconnaissance forces of the army, the silent and stealthy types that had abilities and skills that made them more suited for his service.

With those two reactions negating each other, it was up to the leader of the army and the three of them to make the decision. Flamun was essentially a carbon copy of Takeshi Yagami. He had trained with all his might to gain strength like that of his master, as well as his speed and skill. But what he didn't have to do to get equal to Takeshi in was intellect. He was able to form strategies, handle negotiations, convince the most stubborn of souls, and read the body language of just about anything in the three dimensions they had free rein to move through. He was on equal footing with Takeshi, finally able to match him after centuries of training. But he knew, from vast experience, that Takeshi was most likely stronger then ever due to his constantly training. Regardless, the fact remained that they were closer then ever in strength since the undisputed Third King of Hueco Muendo had had five hundred years of stagnant time with no training. He was rusty, and wasn't at his full potential because of both that and because of the seals on his body. Which was the exact reason why he was so confident in his decision to strike within the week.

That said, Flamun couldn't read anything from the girl before him. Her body language, like her features, were hollow and empty of life. Her voice had been even and void of life. Her hands were limp at her sides, showing no hostility, but that also put her right hand near the sword at her hip. Her feet were lax, showing no desire to make any sudden movements, and despite that they were at shoulder length and in perfect position to move her body in any direction. Her face was relaxed and empty, like a doll. That's how to describe her at that moment: Like a doll. Her skin was smoothed and pale, as if it hadn't seen the light of day in weeks. There was no emotion, no life, as if she were dead and her body being manipulated by a puppeteer. There was a gloss over her blue irises that made them look all the more dead. The blood from the Hollows she had mercilessly slain during her trek to the palace slain her clothes, and some had splattered onto her face. The Shihakusho was tattered, looking as though one strategic cut could make the materiel fall off of her small frame. The equally tattered white scarf she wore flapped in the breeze with her hair, with her neck and the tip of her chin obscured from view by the folds of the cloth. The black bandages that were wrapped around her slender form, wrapping around her forearms and hands to act as though they were gloves, contrasted starkly with the porcelain-like look to her skin. Flamun could even see the barely pulsing veins through her flesh.

"How do we know that this isn't some plot to defeat us from the inside, Soul Reaper?" Flamun said, a hand going to his chin in thought.

Misami, who had been blankly staring forwards past the three Vasto Lorde, looked up at the tall figures before her, "You don't."

"Don't toy with me, Soul Reaper!" Flamun growled.

"I'm not a Soul Reaper," Misami said tersely, with an empty tone that accentuated her expression.

"Then what are you?" Flamun growled again, letting her know how annoyed he was getting.

"I am..." Misami's empty voice trailed off, leaving them in a small silence before she continued, "A demon."

Flamun looked at the girl again. She was a frightening specimen when one angered her, or fought her in general. Even without her Bankai, which Flamun knew that she didn't yet have, she was on par with the Captains that he was soon to face. He knew that she was exiled from the Soul Society, though not for which reason, so she wasn't in affiliated with the Soul Reapers officially. But there was always the possibility that they had lied about that, so that when she did try to join his forces, Flamun would be fooled. Paranoia, a healthy dose at that, was making him hesitate in this situation. This version of Misami was unprecedented, unknown, and dangerous. She was, for all intensive purposes, dead. Beings that were dead and had nothing to lose were unpredictable, and ones that seemed to have abandoned their humanity were even more so. She did seem, judging from her unflinching rejection of being a Soul Reaper, like she had really shed the skin of being the Thirteen Court Guard Squad's puppet.

"Alright, girl," Flamun said, starting to grin, "If you want to join us, there is going to have to be a test of your loyalty to our cause. The cause that would see the Soul Society burn in fire more vile then the flames of Hell."

"Understood," She said, void of any reaction, "What is it?"

Flamun grinned evilly. Then, without warning, he lifted his fist into the air. Menos Grande rose seemingly out of nowhere and dropped their jaws. Red balls of energy massed before their gaping skeletal masks under their long noses. Then, in time with the dropping of Flamun's fist in the direction of the white haired girls, they fired their collection of fifty or so Ceros.

They all slammed into the form of the doll-like girl, exploding in a massive fireball. The sands that were at her feet melted into glass before evaporating into nothingness before the massive firepower of the Menos Grande. Torak and Agramon shielded their mask's eye sockets from the grit, while Flamun's spiritual pressure was high enough to erase the sand from existence before it could touch him. The air was silent as the three of them waited for the results of the strike. The spiritual pressure of the girl was non-existent before the attack, so there was no immediate way of knowing until the smoke cleared. The wind picked up thanks to the pressure difference caused by the strength of the Ceros used. The dust began to clear, the silhouette of the small girl barely registering in their minds. Soon there was a definite shape that resembled her.

Suddenly all of the smoke was blown away to reveal Misami standing before them in exactly the same place she was before the attack. The only difference was that her right hand was raised and parallel to the ground. Her palm was facing them, a few wisps of smoke wafting up from the flesh of the hand. Flamun made a _hmmmm_ sound at the back of his throat as he found himself in astonishment. Even he would have made for more of a stance to block the power of more than fifty Ceros then she did. If she could block the attack with only one hand, and without breaking her composure, what could she do if she were to attack. The creeping sense of paranoia soon solidified into a claw that grasped his non-existent heart. But, despite that, he couldn't pass up this golden opportunity to snatch this powerful girl from the arms of the Soul Society. He knew for a fact that she was extremely loved by the population of the Seireitei, and that most of the Soul Reapers within its walls would have a very hard time fighting her to the death because of the feelings that they harbored for her.

"Interesting," Flamun said, sounding unimpressed, "But there is one more test that I want to put you through before you may join us."

She silently awaited the announcement he made, looking unphased by the fact that she had to more then the amazing feat she'd just performed.

"Do I get to fight her? Huh, boss?" Torak said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

"No," Flamun shook his head, waving off the Vasto Lorde's excitement.

Agramon looked around, shaking his head afterwards, "Just tell her so we can get it over with."

Misami remained silent. Of course.

"I want you to go back to Hanging Dog, Misami," Flamun said, making Misami look at him with confusion, almost with some sort of emotion...

"And I want you to kill every single man, woman, and child."

* * *

Takeshi stood in the middle of the battle arena of Squad Five, Soul Reaper's with Shikai assaulting him from every direction. He was unphased by their efforts, since they were on such a level that the only thing that they had in their favor was their numbers. Takeshi had egged them on enough to get them all to attack him all at once, just because the mood struck him and he wanted to keep his mind from wondering into dark territory. He was worried about his only friend in the universe, about her well being and mental state. As the blades of the Soul Reapers attacking him bounced off, unable to cut through his thick skin, Takeshi could feel himself start to spiral down towards the abyss of despair in the void that Misami had left behind. It was annoying, more annoying at the weak efforts of the Soul Reapers, to have to deal with this sort of pain. Takeshi had never had a real attachment to another being before Misami, and that held true even for the Vasto Lorde that he had raised as his own sons.

Kido and Zanpakuto attacks assaulted him in a seemingly endless and ironically coordinated maelstrom. It was all Takeshi could do to remain still. He didn't dodge the attacks, nor did he really need to, but the forces that they exerted still knocked him off balance. None of the attacks so far had been able to even scratch him, the strongest only leaving behind soot from their explosion instead. Nel was watching with a sad look in her eyes while she maintained a happy expression. She had been a solid rock for Takeshi to hold onto in order to keep from going insane from loneliness in Misami's absence. The rage that he felt towards the ones that had exiled her was still hot and furious, but he had given up on trying to get a strong Captain to fight him in order to relieve him of the pressure. Kenpachi had been sent on a mission with Squad Twelve as an escort in order to make sure that the researchers didn't perish during their tests in Hueco Muendo, so it was far more difficult to find a willing opponent. Nel had already made sure that Takeshi knew that she only fought him to make sure that he didn't kill off what Misami had left in a fit of rage, and that now she would only fight him when he didn't need to fight to calm down. She seemed to have bad memories with fights that began with that reason, and Takeshi complied readily. He was already sure that she was one of the few that he didn't want to upset, along with the Head Captain and Retsu Unohana.

He flared his spiritual pressure, forcing the majority of the Soul Reapers around him to fall to their knees from the weight of his power. Takeshi looked around, a disappointed look in his gaze as he started to walk away from the squad of Soul Reapers. They growled at him, calling him offensive names that were aimed at his not retreating, in order to get him back into the fray so that they could get him back for all that he said to them. Takeshi, Nel now following behind him with her smile as readily available as ever, had already gotten to the arc of the exit by the time they started to resort to foul language and comments about his lineage and family. Seeing as he didn't have either, and didn't care about fact, he ignored them and headed for his quarters.

Nel was his assigned guardian, and had been given orders to let him out only to relieve his frustrations or to get food. Other then those two main excuses, Takeshi would be put under house arrest until Ichigo and Rukia came back from a mission that included the Lieutenant of Squad Two. He was to be in his room until further notice, with Nel not to be more then ten meters away and with permission to use her sword. Seeing as she was easily able to defeat someone like the Fifth Espada during the Winter War, without using her released form, Takeshi didn't exactly like the idea of her beating him down with all the seals on his body that brought his power down to that of a Fourth Seat.

The glares of the Seireitei were as prevalent as ever, though some of the looks at Nel were a different kind of look that only made Takeshi angrier. He found himself growing more and more fond of the green haired Arrancar, finding her cheery attitude and playful nature reminiscent of Misami without the pretense that he saw Misami as a little sister. Nel was strong despite her personality, and a very swordsman. The way that Misami fought was the same as Nel. Both of them were happy and kind when they weren't around professional situations or the eyes of strangers, but an enemy's worst-nightmare when they fought. They both had this blank, empty stare that they adopted when they fought, making them seem as if they didn't even think to was worth the effort to have emotions.

Takeshi mounted the stairs that lead to the second floor of the barracks in Squad Five's jurisdiction. He moved past Soul Reapers that were just returning from their morning exercises and training, whom were too tired and worn out to spare him a glance. They simply parted way in their haze, so Takeshi didn't have to deal with their presence. Takeshi found his room, the temporary quarters that was issued to him in the meantime, and sighed irritably.

His room had been spray painted by the delinquents of the Squad, however few there were, with words that were aimed at angering the Arrancar. Of course he was mad about the graffiti, but it didn't nearly annoy him as much as the sharp and strong stench of the propellant that they had used. His hyper-sensitive nose flared with the onslaught of the smell, and he covered his nose quickly. Nel didn't seem to care and followed his groaning form until he collapsed onto his bed, face first into the comforter of the western mattress so that he couldn't smell anything but the sheets. He breathed slowly out, thankful that his makeshift plan worked.

"Are you still that worried about her?" Nel asked, her tone upbeat yet serious at the same time.

Takeshi reluctantly nodded, "It's stupid, isn't it?"

Nel shook her head, "I thinks it's cute, Takeshi! It's adorable how much you care for Misami."

Takeshi, thankful for the sheets hiding the blush that touched his cheeks because of the compliment, sighed, "That doesn't make it any easier, Nel."

Nel laughed lightheartedly, "I know, silly, but that's how I feel."

Takeshi sighed, rubbing his head into the sheets to smother the scent into his nostrils. He felt the sheets rustle and the mattress sink as more weight was added, and he could feel his sword slowly being drawn out of the waistband of his borrowed Shihakusho trousers. He was already shirtless, since that was just how he preferred to dress. He heard the sound of the sword being placed gently on the ground and the mattress sink back down again as Nel laid down beside him. She took hold of his and and placed it on her side, effectively forcing Takeshi to cuddle with her on his bed. Then they just stayed like that, laying there without much sound reaching their ears besides the noises of the Seireitei. Takeshi was fighting hard not to move of close his limp fingers around Nel's body, and would dare move his face for fear that the green haired Arrancar wouldn't see the massive blush that was appearing on his face. It was...nice. Peaceful, almost, to just be in the company of this kind and beautiful Arrancar, so much so that Takeshi found himsefl wondering if there was anything wrong with him. He'd never cared for things like this, never cared so much about how he felt towards another being.

Then Nel shifted, moving closer to his body, close enough that he could feel the heat coming from her body, "Don't worry, Takeshi. I'll be here for you when ever you need me. She'll be alright, so stop worrying, 'kay?"

Takeshi sighed, relaxing almost involuntarily at her silky smooth tone, "...Thank you, Nel."

* * *

"Kisuke," Daiki said, Rukia and Ichigo standing wearily behind him as they watched him pound on the shop's door, "Kisuke, open up!"

The news of Misami's absence had been shared with the married couple of Squad Five, and they both adamantly forced Daiki to let them come along. Both of them being nobility and his seniors, though not by much, he had to accept. His childhood, living life under the iron fist of his masters as their assassin since before he could remember, forced him to obey those over him no matter how much he hated or despised their methods. It had been because of that reason that he had gone along with the corrupted Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen five hundred years ago when Misami had been assigned to the World of the Living. He hadn't known Misami well at that time, but her reputation preceded her and he felt bad that she was the target of the evil Soul Reaper's revenge. It turned out to be a fateful encounter, since Misami had been the one to bring Takeshi into the Soul Society, saving many lives by convincing him to come to the side of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Though everyone knew that his loyalty only lied with Misami, and not the Soul Society, it was enough. Daiki had admired the then physically eleven year old for what she was able to do, and soon she befriended him.

It had been a mistake to let the relationship develop so much to where she was more then an acquaintance and then forced him to care. Emotional attachments were hindrances and weaknesses both, and forced hi to think illogically and rashly in relation the well-being of another. Since he couldn't control her, since she wasn't a part of his own mind, he was vulnerable if she came under stress or danger. Even though she was stronger then him, which was a much more favorable scenario in this case, he found himself with feelings of worry for her safety. Seeing her in a pitiful state, in one that was lower than that of his own, had ignited passion that kept him up at night because of thoughts about how she was doing that ran through his head. It was stupid, inefficient, and foolish, but he couldn't help himself. Misami had that affect on people, something about her that seemed to melt the cold hearts of those around her. Soi Fon had been concerned enough to have her under continual surveillance, despite her saying reasons to the contrary. Kenpachi treated her the same as his adopted daughter and Lieutenant, Yachiru, and allowed her to call him "Kenny" as well. Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been far more...gracious with his attempts at getting permission to run experiments on her, though he still persisted. The point being that she was able to make connections with just about anyone, since she understood everyone because of her past.

"Where is he?" Rukia asked with an annoyed tone, shaking her head, "He's never here when you need him."

The shopkeeper didn't seem to respond, so Daiki made to bust down the door. Ichigo had already beat him to the punch...literally. The wooden doors gave way under the strike from the orange haired Captain, splintering and showering the ground before it. Daiki, stopping his own strike mid-way, recomposed himself and cleared his throat from the slight mess up. Rukia had already followed her husband into the shadowed shop. The rays of the sun were dim, the twilight not affording much illumination to see far into the building. The places where the shadows ended and the light began were blurred and hardly noticed. It was eerie to see such a rather lively place that they had all visited frequently when they were in the World of the Living so dark and deserted. There were traces of spiritual pressure that had signs of fear in them. Kisuke's was left around the shop, but the most was coming from the hatch that lead to his underground training cave. Daiki, not wanting to have his superiors attacked by traps that he himself had trained to subconsciously detect and evade, positioned himself before Ichigo and Rukia and opened the hatch. The familiar 'scent' of Hollow-laced Soul Reaper spiritual pressure reached them in a torrent as soon as the creak of the hinges reached their ears.

Looking back to get confirmation from the two highest members of Squad Five, Daiki jumped up and fell into the black void that showed the light of the training cavern below. Completely forsaking the ladder, Daiki aimed himself head first and slammed his spiritual pressure into his feet and massively increased his speed. Ichigo and Rukia soon followed the Lieutenant of Squad Two, hands on their swords with a foreboding sense about them as they watched with suspicious eyes. The light of the training cave grew bigger and bigger with each passing moment, Daiki with his sword glinting in its light as he finally reached the exit.

He was enveloped in light from the artificial atmosphere, flipping one hundred and eighty degrees to right himself so that he wouldn't break his face upon landing. He pushed a good amount of spiritual pressure into his feet, absorbing the impact just before he landed. Dust kicked up and a crater formed from the impact of his accelerated landing. Rukia and Ichigo were not too far behind.

"She was definitely here," Daiki said, feeling as though he were stating the obvious, "She's come here a lot."

Ichigo nodded, looking around, "I don't sense her spiritual pressure. What about you, Rukia?"

Rukia ruefully shook her head, "Nothing. She's long gone."

They split up, looking around the circular cave in search of clues as to the whereabouts of their lost friend. Rukia, though she was doing an excellent job of hiding it from the naked eye, was getting more and more fearful that Misami had been kidnapped or hurt while she was in her Gigai. Since Ichigo was married to her, and essentially shared the same soul due to the way that the marriages in the Soul Society bound the two souls of the bride and groom together, could both sense and feel her fears. Daiki, on the other hand, was too good at reading body language and spiritual pressure to not miss her true feelings despite the indifferent mask she wore.

Suddenly there was a sharp yell, "What the heck?!"

Daiki and Rukia Flash Stepped instantly to Ichigo's position and stared at what was before them.

Tessai, the massive man that had been with Kisuke since the start of his exile, was slumped against a rock with a bleeding wound leaking crimson down his temple and jaw to drip from his chin slowly. Jinta and Ururu, the two small mod-souls that Kisuke had in his employ were beaten and bloodied on the ground not too far from the massive man. They both had shattered and broken weapons next to them, and a pool of their own blood starting to dry around them. They two child mod-souls were still moving, their teeth grit in pain as they involuntarily slept. Tessai was slightly slack-jawed, but he was still alive as well. Daiki moved slowly towards them, cautious and curious. Rukia and Ichigo looked a little more worried, since the only other spiritual pressures that they could sense was Misami's and Kisuke's. And since they both knew that Kisuke would never beat the consciousness out of his own beloved employees of the Urahara's Shop, that only left Misami as the culprit. Daiki was pushing those thoughts from his mind, focusing on the scene in front of them. He saw something that truly worried him.

Kisuke was there was well, hidden from immediate sight by the same rock that Tessai was slumped against. His hat was resting next to his limp hand, a slice in the brim were his eye would have been if he had been wearing it. His clothes were tattered with holes and slashes that corresponded with serious wounds. His sword was out of its cane sheath, and seemed to have recently been released in battle. His wooden sandals were next to his feet, one of them broken in half and splintered. The remnants of Kido were on his form, and weighed heavily on Daiki's senses. Misami, who was undoubtedly the one that had done this, must have restrained Kisuke with a massive amount of Kido when she had finished fighting him with her swords. Rukia and Ichigo noticed that Daiki was looked at the back of the rock and came around the side of the outcropping only to have their eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"Even Kisuke?!" Ichigo seemed disbelieving, "What the heck happened here?"

"That's what the entire Soul Society will want to know," Daiki breathed.

* * *

I stood above the makeshift shacks and slums of the seventy-eighth South Rukkon district. This place had been my home, my first home were I didn't live everyday in pain and torture. The first place that I wasn't drugged and tested on a daily basis, starved purposely or forced to stay awake for days. I didn't remember any of it, my memory wiped the instant that I entered into the Soul Society. I knew that the world that I had lived in for centuries wasn't the best, but I always had the sense that I was in heaven compared to some of the other places in the universe. I had been safe here, having been able to scare off attackers and kidnappers with my almost instinctual self defense. I was soon alone because of it, but I somehow knew that I had been safer here then from where I had come from.

Nostalgia aside, I knew now that this place was rotten. I clenched my jaw, but kept my face as neutral as possible. Rule One: You have to complete the test during the day. Flamu-_Lord_ Flamun-had told me that was the first requirement that had to be met.

The second was that I couldn't hide my face with a hood, my bangs, or my scarf. Since my hair had been unkept since I had arrived in Hueco Muendo, I found some hair pins to move my bangs out of the way. Those hair pins were a cartooned skull shape and an "X" made of two small bones, going with the fact that I was now on the side of the Hollows. My long hair and the tails of my scarf flapped in the winds of the still noon sky. My new uniform blew in the breeze as well. I was wearing the all white, black-accented Espada garb. I had a short-shirted, no sleeved kimono-like clothing that was covering my chest and stomach. I wore the tattered remains of the trousers, so it looked more like a skirt that a ghost would wear. On top of that, the midriff over my three parallel scars was gone, the wounds on full display. I had on a coat with its hem reaching down to the backs of my knees, the sleeves stopping just before they reached my elbows. The sleeves barely hid the number '23' tattooed on my left upper arm in the same font as the Espada, another part of the deal that was aimed at testing just how loyal I was to their 'cause'. I had on the wrappings of my waist Zanpakuto around my waist over it all, the materiel from my hips below flapping in the wind dramatically like a cape. The outside of the coat was white, with the lining an oily black. The black bandages that I had wrapped around my arms were still there, acting as though they were gloves and fore-arm wrappings. I left my fingers unwrapped, so that I wouldn't suffer a handicap in hand to hand combat. I had replaced my Soul Reaper white socks and sandals for the Espada equivalent. The socks I modified so that they reached up to my knees, the black material matching with the liner of my long coat while it contrasted starkly with the white sandals I wore.

The third and final requirement that Lord Flamun had made me comply to was to have my attack broadcast all over the Soul Society. There was a camera-drone, shaped like a floating skull with tentacle arms of metal as it floated in front of me. It was connected to the networks of screens that the members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads used, what my new enemy used, so that as soon as I signaled it to begin recording it would hack the screens. After it did that, it would show a live feed as Hanging Dog was destroyed. I was having a hard time believing that it was possible for me to even think about doing something without throwing up, much less keep a straight face with the thought of the entire Soul Society watching as I did it. I still had my humanity, and it choose the most inopportune times to make an appearance, which was something that I was at least glad still existed. I took a breath, adopting the attitude of "Oh well." It was only due to the Hollow essence that was now completely in harmony with my soul that I could manage to do what I was about to do with a cold expression. Or at all for that matter. Ironically, this 'harmony' with the Hollow essence in me threw me and my personality into disharmony, making me almost bipolar at the worst of times.

I looked around and exhaled once again, starting to focus my spiritual pressure into myself. I gathered around half of my overall spiritual pressure, something that took almost no effort in comparison to the Hell I had to endure to complete my training. I was ice, cold and unforgiving, a living soul that was also as dead as the air around me.

I lifted up my hands into the formation of a high level Kido, aiming towards the center of the slums that used to be my home.

I spoke with a merciless voice, an empty tone as my expression went dead. No emotion crossed my expression as I began with the incantation of one of the highest level spells that I knew, "_Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired._"

Ten pink energy points formed around me during the incantation, forming tails like that of comets. The sky grew dimmer with the power of the Hado.

I suddenly couldn't help myself and a sinister grin erupted from my features as I said the final words with a voice like a Hollowfied Vizard, "Hado No. 91: Senju Koten Taiho."

Then the pink comet-like energies launched and soared into the center of the district from where I stood in the sky. The massive explosion covered nearly eighty percent of the entire slums, essentially evaporating everything that had existed within the sphere of the blast.

I laughed manically into the still air, the smell of burning buildings and flesh reaching my nose with the updraft of the explosion. I could hear screaming with heightened senses, even over my psychotic laughing. I didn't care, they would all die soon anyway.

I aimed my middle and index finger at where there was the most surviving population and began to speak in the same layered voice that came with controlling the Hollow part of my soul, "_Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens. _Hado No. 73: Soren Sokatsui!"

The massive blast erupted from my hands as I pushed the gathered energy with my palms. I wrenched my hands in a circular motion, aiming the massive beam into the area that bordered the edge of the blast radius of my last Hado. The beam destroyed half of the remaining slums in a brilliant and massive pale blue explosion. People's screams of fear and agony reached me soon thereafter.

I laughed even more then before, terror far more evident in this return since the population was pushed out of its shock and into panic. They screamed for their lives, praying that the Soul Reapers would come to save them, for whatever God would listen to save them from the horror that was destroying their home. So many soul had been extinguished in such little time that I found myself giddy. I felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction from slaughtering all of them, the Hollow essence inside me warping my sense of pleasure to activate with the death of others. I grinned again, the evil look in my eyes only growing with each sound of the dead and the dying. The side of me that was still sane, still had a mind to know that this was wrong and evil, wanted only to cry and grieve for the damage that I had caused. But that was far overshadowed by the absolute joy that came with their deaths. I couldn't get enough of this! I wanted more! To slaughter more and destroy more, to command a space and desolate it in one blow over and over again.

Then came the fourth rule, the last requirement. Showing that I had just done this all of my own will.

I looked directly at the skull shaped camera and spoke in a layered voice once again, my evil grin returning:

"This is a gift from me to you, Soul Reapers. Think of it as a reward for setting me free from your chains! Now you don't have to worry about their pathetic complaints about their lives! You know, since they don't exactly have them anymore!" I paused to laugh before continuing, "I've decided to join up with the ones that will wield the blade that kills you all. You all want to know what that blade is? It's ME!

Oh well, it looks like I'm out of time! Don't you worry, I'll be back soon enough to take care of the rest of the trash before I come for you!"

And with that, it aimed a finger at the ground that had yet to be purged of all life. I fired one Hado after another, not even bothering to chant their names since I could easily put enough power into them to cause damage. I laughed all the while, always until the entire Rukkon District South 78th was destroyed. It was a wasteland no that I was through with it, and I could already feel the sense of satisfaction with my work. I used my senses to find any survivors, shooting them through the heart with a Byakurai from where I stood in the sky a good hundred or so meters up. When all of them had been finished, I found no real need to stay here long enough for my new enemies to find me and fight. Sure they would have to make it all the way over here from the Seireitei, but they would get here eventually. I was entirely drained of spiritual pressure, so I couldn't really last all that long against the forces of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads in my state.

So, turning around, I focused my Hollow abilities and opened a Garganta that would lead into the palace of Las Noches.

Then I walked forwards into the darkness just as the skull-camera cut it's feed.


	22. Second Sortie Of Slaughter

**Author's Note: The next chapter of Prodigy is HERE! I hope that the wait was worth it! I worked hard on this chapter so you guys wouldn't have to wait, even though I have a busy week. Please favorite and follow if you have read this far and still haven't! That way you can get the notification when I get around to updating! Enough with the self promotions! On with the chapter!**

**Thank you, c-AB, for reviewing! I'm glad that you like the way that that Ichigo and Misami act together, and I trust that you've read far enough to know what happens as far as relationships are concerned. I hope that the rest of the story was as enjoyable as the first chapters!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the plot, story ideas, and my many OCs.**

The Reishi-thick air of Las Noches was all but ignored by the beings that basked in it. The harsh shadows cast by the moon light through the window was all that differentiated the objects in the room from one another. The Hollows that were congregating there were all as powerful as the legendary Soul Reaper Captains. Vasto Lorde that wanted the destruction of the Soul Society as a form of vengeance for the betrayal of their master. They were in the minority, however, since the other Vasto Lorde were only there because they were beaten in battle and forced to pledge their loyalty to the three stronger Hollows. They all sat around the table that had been used by the Espada and Aizen to convene and speak in one place. It still held the power and traces of spiritual pressure of those great beings, having long since abandoned the place and leaving it in ruins. The dome area's structures and roof riddled with holes, some of the red pillars in the lighted area of the palace were completely collapsed since the powerful Espada had clashed with the might of the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The rooms in which the other beings that had fought against Aizen's army, such as the Quincy in glasses and the two Fullbringer humans, were also in disrepair. Since there were no real maintenance crews in the palace, those things had been left as they were. They had not changed in five hundred years, so why couldn't they stay for another few days. They were not going to return to this place for a long while, if ever.

But what the Vasto Lorde, excluding the three most powerful, were weary about was the strange girl that was leaning against the wall next to the door with her arms crossed. Her clothes spoke that she was an Arrancar, or an Espada, and she even had the number "23" tattooed onto her left upper arm in the same fashion as Aizen's elite. The white clothes, the skull-shaped and bone hair pins she wore in her hair, and the scars on her body told them that she was in this army along with them. But her spiritual pressure, which was as powerful as the three Vasto Lorde in charge of all of them, was unmistakably Soul Reaper. The only reason that they were not attacking her for the taste of her flesh was the fact that she was so intimidating. Despite the power of the Vasto Lorde, the cold and hollow look in her eyes along with the sinister weapons that she had on her body making her out to be one of those beings that were not to be trifled with lightly. The scarf that she wore around her neck obscured her neck and part of her chin from view behind the high rising hem of the tattered cloth. As of now, her head was down, the tip of her nose down burrowed into the tattered white scarf, and her eyes were closed. They could relax in that sense, since she wasn't paying attention to them, and listen to their commanders. Though, they were all still greatly annoyed that a mere Soul Reaper could make them feel that way about another being.

"Ahem," Flamun said, jarring the attention away from the strange Soul Reaper at towards him, "The invasion has been set for eight days from now. We've postponed it due to the addition of Subject 23."

As eyes started to shoot towards the Soul Reaper in question, Agramon cleared his throat loudly, "Our plan is to overwhelm the enemy by infiltrating the Seireitei through Gargantas that Subject 23 has placed special devices for. These devices are like anchors that allow us to enter the Seireitei unimpeded by the wards and Kido barriers."

"Right," Flamun nodded, turning towards the group of powerful Vasto Lorde, "Using those anchors, we will bypass the wards and launch an attack from three sides. Our strongest forces will be in the northern-most Garganta, the remaining forces will be divided evenly into the remaining two. I estimate, given the schedules of the Captains for that particular day, that that is the best course of action to take. There is a Captain's meeting scheduled that morning. The plan is to attack them when that is in cession. That should catch the majority of the Captains off-guard. But don't expect all of them to be present at that meeting, since two or three of the Captains have a habit of skipping those meetings. Mission data specific to your operations will be issued at a later date. Any questions?"

One of the Vasto Lorde raised his hand.

"Yes?" Flamun inquired.

"What exactly is the Soul Reaper doing here?" He asked in a suspicious tone.

Flamun chuckled, "She asked me if she could join."

A collective gasp, all of the Vasto Lorde muttering to themselves. The white-haired Soul Reaper in question sighed and burrowed her face deeper into her scarf out of annoyance. She was the text-book mysterious-strong-silent-type, only those that knew her name knew who she really was. The rumors that she slaughtered an entire Rukkon district had spread like wild fire throughout the lands of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Her reputation as a powerful and merciless dealer of death preceded her, especially with the news that she was able to put off Captain level Kido without any effort at all. The ice cold look in her eyes confirmed her absence of sympathy, the casual posture she maintained despite being in the presence of beings that could very well kill her if they wanted to kill her. Flamun seemed to get annoyed with the attention that his new subordinate was getting just by standing there. He had better things to do then tell a group of weaker beings what they needed to do, and she was making the meeting drag on longer then it had to.

Suddenly, Subject 23 pushed off of the wall she was leaning against and turned to leave.

"Where are you going, 23?" Flamun asked suspiciously.

Subject 23 didn't even turn around as she waved her good-bye, "Out."

And she shut the door behind her. Vasto Lorde looked at one another before looking back at Flamun with an expectant gaze. Maybe they expected him to put her in her place for leaving without permission? Or they were curious to know why she suddenly left? He couldn't be bothered to figure it out, and continued on describing the battle strategy that he had come up with for the invasion. Agramon, following a silent command, tailed Subject 23 to make sure that she wouldn't try something stupid. He continued the meeting unimpeded until its completion.

As the Vasto Lorde were about to rise from their seats after the dismissal of the mission briefings, a spiritual pressure slammed them down into their seats. It was oppressive and overbearing to the point that the weaker of the group of them broke into a cold sweat. It wasn't Subject 23's spiritual pressure, since this was unmistakably a Hollow's power. Flamun looked around the room, noting that none of the Vasto Lorde present were the cause of this sudden change in spiritual pressure. The air grew thicker and thicker as the signature grew closer and closer to them. It was moving fast, obviously using Sonido to achieve that speed, as it raced towards the palace of Las Noches. It only made it harder and harder to keep a straight expression and similar posture compared to before the arrival of that power. There was a slight distortion in the air from the spiritual pressure that was coming from the outside, it was making Flamun grit his teeth in annoyance at whomever was the source of the energy. This was making everything extremely hard to accomplish, since there was the fact that, if it was affecting the most powerful Hollows here, then it was most certainly affecting his forces. That meant that the production of the palace was dropping, and there was the possibility that the pressure was too great and some of the lesser Hollows had already disintegrated. Loss of effectivity and an increase in viable reason for paranoia was one of the few things that could get Flamun to reveal his 'bad side'. Which, after all, consisted of his destroying everything in sight in a fit of irritation.

Suddenly the power halted and footsteps could be heard in the halls. Resounding, powerful and sure footsteps of a being that knew what it was and where it was going. The authority in its stride, the amount of power it wielded by merely existing left almost nothing to the imagination as to what was approaching. Only Arrancars were that way, and only Espada knew where to find the room they were in like this one did.

The doors to the room suddenly burst open to reveal an Arrancar with spiky blue hair. With green markings under his grinning light blue eyes, he looked around the table his eyes falling on the Vasto Lorde with an annoyed expression. The Vasto Lorde looked at him, the reputation that went with that hair, those eyes, and the scar he earned from the Winter War flooding their minds. His hollow hole in his torso, the tattooed number of the Sexta Espada to the right of that hole on his back. His aura of brimming confidence dominated the room along with his authority as an Espada. Though the residents of Hueco Mundo knew that Aizen was captured and defeated, the fact still remained that the Espada and Arrancar's were the rulers of whatever they saw fit due to their power that transcended that of the Vasto Lorde. Granted, Flamun and his comrades were exceptions to that rule given their training by the unofficial-yet-undisputed-king of Hueco Mundo. Strength was everything to the Hollows, whom were driven by instinct to follow the orders of those superior to them without question despite their personal feelings. It was harder for the Vasto Lorde to comply with that set of instincts, given the fact that they wielded as much power as a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. But given the might and almighty power that trumped theirs, it was easy to see why the proud group of Vasto Lorde were largely compliant with the Espada before them.

"What do we have here?" Grimmjow said with a sinister sounding chuckle, "Vasto Lorde's pretending to be Espada?"

Flamun gave him a slight bow, "Greetings, Sexta Espada, have you come to challenge for the right to command our army like they have?"

Grimmjow chuckled and shook his head when Flamun gestured to the group of Vasto Lorde sitting at the table, "_That's _why you idiots are all here? I didn't know how stupid you all actually were!"

"You mean you aren't here to challenge us?" Flamun did his best to sound neutral, but he couldn't help but sound a little confused.

"Heck no," Grimmjow rolled his eyes, as if it were obvious and their stupidity was getting on his nerves, "I came for the girl."

"The girl?" Flamun repeated, looking to Torak who shrugged, "You mean Subject 23?"

"Her name is Subject 23?" Grimmjow asked, looking intrigued, "Does she have an actual name or is that supposed to be it?"

Flamun shook his head, "No, her name was...Misami, I think. Misami Kuchiki, if I'm not mistaken."

"So one of the Subjects went and became nobility," Grimmjow shook his head, "Who would have guessed...So tell me, Vasto Lorde, where is the girl?"

Flamun looked at Torak, who shrugged again, "If you'll follow me, Sexta Espada."

* * *

Daiki stood before the Head Captain, not five minutes after he had been summoned via Hell Butterfly. No other captain was present, save for his own, so the atmosphere was far less oppressive to him in the absence of all of their spiritual pressures. It was about an hour after the hijacking broadcast of the destruction of the 78th South Rukkon was destroyed. An hour since they had all watched as Misami slaughtered countless innocents in cold blood. An hour since there was silence in the Soul Society as they saw how far their idol had fallen. Rukia was utterly destroyed and in denial because of the broadcast, since it was the destruction of her home and her adopted sister was now beyond any redemption in the eyes of the Soul Society. Now they despised her, hated her, feared her with an ominous dread that rivaled the reputation of Aizen. The fact that she was able to use the Hado spells that she had used, Captain level spells at that, without so much as an infliction in her voice was reason enough to fear her. Now, she was on the side of the enemy, and a great threat to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

"Squad Two Lieutenant Daiki," The authoritative voice of the Head Captain resounded through the tense air of the room, "With the recent revelations as to the standing of the exile Misami Kuchiki, we have ordered for her arrest. Upon her capture, she will be put on trial for her actions and a punishment will be issued accordingly. I am ordering you to be the one in charge of the criminal's capture. I only require that you bring her back alive for her trial."

The subsequent silence was broken by Daiki's calm voice, "Yes, Head Captain, as you wish."

The old man read into the Lieutenant's response and spoke again, "Speak your mind, Lieutenant."

"Sir, I-" Daiki trailed off, "I don't-I _can't_ believe that Third Seat Kuchiki would do something like this without a good reason."

"Oh?" The Head Captain prompted.

"Yes, sir," Daiki said, bowing his head, "I'd like to get permission to survey the enemy palace for two days to see what they are planning. It may also bring insight as to why Third Seat Kuchiki would do what she did."

"That girl slaughtered an entire Rukkon District by herself!" The Head Captain raised his voice, "What reason could that possibly be?"

"I don't...sir," Daiki said, his resolve to continue arguing with his superior faltering.

"I will give you permission to spy on the enemy for one day," The old man said, "I forbid you from speaking to the exile, or for making your presence known to any being. This must be done in complete secrecy. You will report the instant you get back what you found. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Head Captain," Daiki said in a quiet tone.

Daiki rose slowly from where he bowed before the Head Captain, and turned to leave. Thoughts swirled around in his head relentlessly, making the world slow with the weight of their words. What if the videos of his only true friend slaughtering untold millions weren't forged? What if there was no evidence to show that Misami was being controlled by her hollow side? Could it be that she was voluntarily doing this? Did she defect because they exiled her? Did she hate them now? Daiki blinked under his hood, shrugging off the doubts he had been harboring. It was as he said to the Head Captain, there had to be a reason for this. Misami wouldn't have been capable of such a violent act unless she had a clear motive for doing so. She had too pure and innocent of a heart to do what was evident that she did. Daiki found himself hoping that he was right, that she wasn't a heartless monster that had defected to the Hollow's side out of spite. If there was more to the story, Daiki vowed to himself that he was going to find out. He would get to the bottom of this problem and gut it of all mystery. He'd stomp on the heads of those who tried to accuse Misami of wrong when she was innocent. He was going to pull her out of the grave she'd dug for herself, no matter what.

As Daiki reached the door, he heard the Head Captains voice boom through the air with a sort of sad and hopeful tone, "I pray that you do find something to prove us wrong, Lieutenant."

At those words, Daiki retreated through the door into the Seireitei.

He soared among the skies above the place he'd lived for five hundred years. He didn't like the idea of calling it a home, since he had allowed himself no such luxury before. Maybe Misami could be considered a home, in the sense that she was always there for him to got to if he was stressed or annoyed at something. Granted, he never actually spoke about these problems, since he didn't want to burden his only friend or make it seem as though he couldn't handle it. Just being in the same room as Misami seemed to have an effect on people that she herself didn't know. She was known for her kindness, respected for her strength, understood because of her age, and feared because of the side of her that was the opposite of who she was. The combination of all of that made her like a beacon to hurting souls, and she herself seemed to be attracted to those that needed her help, though it never seemed that was her intention at all. Her wanting to belong somewhere had formed the people that had been around her to make one for her, since that seemed as though it was the highest repayment that they could give her for her kindness. Kindness, as everyone knew, that had saved countless lives.

Now that Misami was gone, seeming to be all but destroyed. Her legacy had turned from one of a mourned hero to that of a despised traitor. In the ten minutes after the video of her betrayal was viewed, that part of everyone's hearts that held on to the kindness she shared with them was killed and trampled by a new and terrifying hatred. There were very few people that still believed in Misami Kuchiki. Of them were Rukia, Ichigo, Byakuya, Takeshi, Nel, and the servants and guards of the Kuchiki estate. Some of the Captains, like Jushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku, still held out hope but remained neutral in their feelings towards the girl in case her defection really did have no other reason besides a voluntary one. Then, of course, there were Captains that couldn't care less.

"Hey!" The familiar, and rather unwanted voice of Takeshi reached his ears from below, "Where the heck do you think you're going, idiot?"

"Oh, it's a lovely place," Daiki said, almost in audibly, "I think it was called 'None Of Your Business'."

"I heard that!" Takeshi growled, appearing with Nel behind him from a Sonido.

"Please, Daiki," Nel said with a pleading tone, "Please tell us."

Daiki shook his head under his hood, "Sorry, Nel, but the Head Captain said that I couldn't tell anyone."

"Why are you ignoring me, Soul Reaper!?" Takeshi growled, gritting his teeth. His desire to help Misami was almost painful to watch.

Daiki shook his head again, this time patronizingly, "Because you won't hear anything I say unless it tells you where to find the Third Seat. Since I don't know, I won't be able to tell you."

Takeshi looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel in a fit of rage, "Are you asking for a fight, ninja-boy? Cause I'll give you one, right here and now!"

Daiki cocked his head, "'Ninja-boy'?"

"Oh, shut up!" Takeshi grumbled.

Daiki chuckled, as did Nel, and the tension of the situation melted away. Takeshi still had a bit of anger left in him, but a worried glance from Nel banished it like light to shadows. Daiki wasn't blind, and he could see the relationship that was growing between the two of them, but he wasn't going to intrude on their personal lives. When he himself had almost none of one to speak of, it was rude to delve into theirs. When he saw an opportunity to slip away unnoticed, Daiki vanished in a burst of Flash Step towards the Senkaimon. Takeshi was too distracted by something that Nel asked him, and didn't realize that the hooded Soul Reaper had gone off suddenly. Daiki could still hear his shouting from where he was, and saw that some of the Soul Reapers on the ground looked up with a curious expression at the Arrancar's behavior.

Daiki arrived at the Senkaimon uninterrupted by others, and slowly approached. Bringing his left bicep to bare, showing the Lieutenant's badge of the second Squad, the guards at the Senkaimon stood at attention and started to open the door. The light of the gate shone brightly enough to make the Soul Reaper squint, the creaking of the doors as they opened filling his ears. He kept his face neutral, his jaw set. He didn't have his scarf covering his lower facial features, so others would be able to pick up on what he was feeling. Putting up the black tattered cloth of the article in question would be a give away that he didn't want others to know what he was thinking, so he let it be. He took one step forwards, then another, then another. He made sure to make it seem as though he were heading out for another routine mission, like he had done so many times in the past two or three weeks. The guards, seeming to get the same vibe as usual, didn't even ask him what his purpose was. So much the better, even though it was against policy to just let anyone through the gate without first asking what their purpose was. Daiki was thankful that his habitual visitations to the World of the Living had bared this sort of unexpected fruit. He took it silently, but with gratitude.

But just before he could reach the white light of the gate, the _Tat Tat _of the emergency alarm pounded ominously into his skull.

"Alert! Alert!" The announcer yelled into the system, "The Exile Misami Kuchiki has been sighted in the Department of Research and Development!"

* * *

"Hado No. 31: Shakkaho."

Red fire balls exploded into the towers of the Twelfth Squad.

"Hado No. 33: Sokatsui."

Pale blue flames incinerated buildings with lab equipment.

"Hado No. 4: Byakurai."

The lighting of the spell crippled the storage buildings of the area.

I stood high above the ensuing chaos that was wrought by those simple three spells. I fired an unnamed barrage of Byakurais into every building within my range, not even beginning to reach into the amount of spiritual pressure I had at my disposal. The screams of the dying and the injured barely reached my ears over the sound of the ground burning. I kept a straight face this time, hating that I was able to even do this at all. I didn't feel the urge to laugh like a maniac, or grin evilly at the destruction below. I only felt...bored. This was too easy for me, and this small scale destruction was nothing like the Earth-clearing massacre that I had committed not two or three hours ago. Maybe it was the fact that those Vasto Lorde had sent me on another mission so soon after the last, giving me only the time I rested during the meeting they held with the other Vasto Lorde before this assignment. One thing that I was looking forward to was a fight with that blue haired Espada, whom I saw just as I was entering my Garganta. I just wish I could kill-

_NO, I can't think like that!_ I thought angrily to myself as I sort of came to my senses.

**Oh come on Princess, **the Hollow essence inside me cooed, **I thought you were finally accepting me, too...**

I found myself angry at the disappointed tone in the Hollow's voice, _This is wrong, and you know it!_

**I think it's fun, actually,** the Hollow said dismissively, **So how about you just shut up before you blow our cover? If you seem even the littlest bit timid or hesitate for a second, that Flamun guy'll have that creepy friend of his gut you before you can bat an eye.**

I found myself silent for a moment, my body still destroying the Twelfth Squads research facilities as I had this internal conflict, _I...I know..._

**Then suck it up, Princess, **The Hollow said, **And try and make this more enjoyable so you don't look so disappointed!**

I sighed and blanketed the ground with a series of assorted Hado. I looked at the ground again, seeing the mutilated adn burning corpses of the researchers of Squad Twelve. Suddenly, there was a massive spiritual pressure in front of me. I slowly, almost apathetically looked up towards it. Before me was a royally P. Mayuri Kurotsuchi, his hand clenching so hard that the veins in his arm were about to burst. Behind him was Nemu, her usual inhuman blank expression as present as the last time I'd seen her. I could sense the power signatures of the other powerful members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, all of them racing towards our position at a rapid pace.

"Who do you think you are, worm?!" The strange Captain snarled, "How did it get into you're puny hybrid brain that it was a good idea to destroy all of my reseach facilities?!"

I looked at him with an empty gaze, "I just felt like it."

"You felt like it," Kurotsuchi repeated, pressing a fist to his temple as he shook his head, "YOU FELT LIKE IT?!"

I looked at him again, cocking my head as if I was confused, "Is that not a good enough answer?"

"For the love of-!" Mayuri trailed off, his teeth bared, "I will not stand for this insult to my research!"

I looked away, absentmindedly firing off another Hado into a building that I had missed.

"That's IT!" The strange Captain said, ripping his sword out of its sheath, "BAN-!"

Kurotsuchi stopped mid-yell. Nemu's eyes widened in one of the first displays of emotion I had ever seen from her. Mayuri coughed, the breath knocked out of him. I was crouched before him, the hilt of one of my swords in his stomach. The blade wasn't even fully out of the sheath at my hip, the sinister metal glinting in the sun's rays. The Lieutenant of Squad Twelve Flash Stepped forwards, her eyes wide as she struch out at me with a spinning arm. The fore-arm was literally spinning as if it were a drill, and I Flash Stepped away from the strange attack. So she wasn't human after all. Who would've guessed? I stood a good ten feet away from the pair, Mayuri breathing raggedly from the attack. His sword hanging limply at his side in a weak grip, all but forgotten, the Captain grit his yellow teeth. Nemu held him us, since the force that I had accidentally applied to the blunt force attack was enough to crack a rib or two from the impact. His internal organs must've taken an enormous beating from that one strike. Oh, well.

With the Captain temporarily incapacitated, I turned back to the task I had been given, "Hado No. 33: Sokatsui."

As the pale fire of the Kido slammed into the buildings below, I heard an almost feral roar in anger. Turning towards the source of the sound with a slight interest, something hit my throat. That was an understatement, of course, since the arm of Mayuri Kurotsuchi slammed into my neck with the force of a punch. The strange anatomy of the man seemed to give him the ability to turn his arms into retractable, launch-able appendages. His vise grip made me gag from the fact that I was being choked. Pain shot out from where he clutched at me, my vision beginning to get fuzzy from lightheadedness.

"This is what you deserve for underestimating me, trash!" Kurotsuchi growled, his eyes wide with anger.

I stopped struggling, letting my self hang by his arm where it grasped my neck, "When did I ever underestimate you, Kurotsuchi? I overestimated you, Captain of Squad Twelve."

"What did you say, maggot?!" The strange Captain roared.

His eyes went wide when his hand suddenly disintegrated into small, bite-sized chunks. He looked at me with a confused and angry expression, seeing my bloodied sword at my side. I had cut the offending limb at least ten to twenty times in an instant while avoiding cutting myself, but I still couldn't finish the move in time. The newest arrivals were already watching the exchange from my right, their eyes having the expression of annoyance. The white haired Captain of Squad Nine, Kensei, crossed his arms and stared at me with a disapproving glare. Next to him, Captain Komamora's yellow eyes had the same gaze. I shook my head and looked towards the Captain of Squad Twelve, my apathetic look enraging him once again.

"What are you doing, little girl?" Kensei asked patronizingly, "You do know that it's wrong to destroy other people's things, right?"

I glanced at him, cocking my head, "Oh? I thought it sounded fun. It's not as fun as a couple hours ago, sadly..."

"So you admit that you destroyed Hanging Dog?" Komamora asked incredulously.

"I have to admit it?" I asked as though I had missed something, "So you guys did get the video Lord Flamun broadcasted? Well that's no fun. That means I did that all of nothing..."

"We saw that stupid video," Kensei said, shaking his head, "I think everyone in the whole Seireitei knew what happened in less then ten minutes."

I brightened up my expression slightly, "Oh good! At least I wouldn't have to do the same thing twice."

"Why are you doing this, Kuchiki?" The furry Captain asked, almost cutting me off, "Is it because we exiled you?"

I laughed, almost maniacally, _this was getting interesting at least_, "Do you really think that I would do something so close-minded? Slaughtering a fourth of the Seireitei on a whim should have put my butt in a prison cell."

"Then why, little girl?" Kensei pressed.

"It's simple, really," I said, making up the most innocent looking face, "Because I was bored."

"Bored?" Kensei said, shaking his head and gritting his teeth, "Bored?!"

"Yup," I nodded adding cheerily, "You heard me right!"

"You're worse then Mashiro!" Kensei roared, drawing the short wakizashi and growling out the release command, "Blow it away, Tachikaze!"

Air currents began to swirl around the white haired Captain of Squad Nine, their roars far outshadowing their owner's. They continued to form around him, slowly collecting around the sword in Kensei's hand. When those wind currents faded away they revealed his Shikai. A combat knife with a bronze guard, the wrappings a light purple at the center with a light grey grip on the blade's hilt, and a small ring on the guard's blunt side. He stood at a fighting stance, his irritated expression evident on his face. I sighed, silently reprimanding myself for pushing the right buttons to get a Captain angry at me. The man had a legendary short fuse, especially when it came to childish behavior. Which was the main reason why he didn't like to be around Yachiru and I most of the time. Komamura took a big step back, floating down to watch from a building's rooftop. Mayuri and Nemu followed suit, Mayuri using every insult he knew for me and what I had done to his precious Squad Twelve.

Kensei slashed the air in front of him in a rapid fashion, the small blade enabling him to reach astonishing speed with his Zanpakuto. The places that he slashed became slightly-green colored blades of wind that raced towards me. I could sense that these were test fires, or distractions, since they didn't really have that much energy behind them. Much to my surprise, they exploded once they struck me instead of stopping after they hit me. Because I wasn't expecting this, the damage I took was more then I anticipated. Scorch mark-like bruises were already forming on my exposed skin. The black wrappings that I had on my hands and forearms were a special gift from Kisuke that acted like armor despite their being simple black cloth, so I didn't have to worry about an injury to that part of my body. But the flesh that was just above that was hit and the pain of the explosion was easily felt. I grit my teeth, straining to keep myself calm instead of outright attacking the Captain. The blood lust that came from allowing my Hollow side to take control of me for a period of time during my Bankai training was a hard thing to control, especially with a strong opponent practically begging to be attacked. I took a deep breath, and let it out before grinning like a little kid at the Captain of Squad Nine.

"Hey, that's dangerous!" I said, adding in a slight giggle, "You could really hurt someone with those!"

"Stupid kid," Kensei growled, "Just because you're young doesn't mean that I'll go easy on you!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," I grinned again, "But, you see, I have a schedule to keep, so I don't have time to play."

"A schedule?" Kensei blinked.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Komamura shouted.

"I have to destroy the Twelfth Squad so that the Seireitei will be crippled," I answered, as if it were obvious.

The four Soul Reapers looked at me with angry expressions, with the exception of Nemu's neutral facial features, as I said that. Kensei because of my tone and the fact that I was ignoring him, Komamura because of what I just said, and Mayuri because I was still breathing at that point. The other power signatures were approaching fast. I was running out of time.

"Bakudo No. 61: Rikujokoro."

The six light rods slammed into Kensei's midsection, immobilizing him where he stood. Before the rest of the Soul Reaper's could react, I turned my attention to the remaining buildings that I had yet to destroy. As the three of them surged up to take the angry Captain of Squad Nine, I began to chant the incantation for the last spell I had used in a mass destruction. The air grew thick with power as I focused my energies within myself, my body emitting the black and oily spiritual pressure with a white aura around the flame-like edges. The dense spiritual pressure cocoon that I subconsciously emitted negated the long range attacks of my opponents long enough for me to say the words of the spell.

"_Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired. _Hado No. 91: Senju Koten Taiho."

The pink, comet like points of light raced towards the ground. Just then, the majority of my energy that had been used to supply my cloud of spiritual pressure imploded into my body so that I wouldn't faint from the release of such a strong spell. Just then, Mayuri's blade sliced into my arm in a fit of rage. The sword, having long been release into Shikai form in the inter-missionary time when he had charged me, bit deep into my stomach. Pain erupted into my body like someone had both poisoned me with an acid whiel pouring lava into the wound. I gritted my teeth so much that I swore I could hear one of my teeth crack, but maybe it was the sound of my arm breaking. Since Kensei had somehow broken out of the Rikujokoro, he landed a massive punch onto my arm as I instinctively brought the limb in question up to clutch at the wound in my stomach. I felt the urge to cry out in agony, the two wounds that the Captains had inflicted. In fact, I could barely hear the sound of my weak voice whimper slightly beyond my control. Just then, the Hado I had fired reached it's target, and detonated in a massive explosion.

As the flames of the Hado rose into the blackening skies above the Seireitei, a look of anger crossed my features. The harsh light of the Hado cast hard lines of shadow onto my face, making the complete one-eighty change in my attitude all the more apparent. Kensei blinked as though he didn't recognize me for a moment.

I made a claw with my hand and sliced into the space behind me with it. A Garganta formed, the dimensional rift forming with a bone-chilling sound, "I win this round, Soul Reapers. I'll come and play with you soon..."

"Misami! Wait!" Daiki's frantic voice rose above the background noise of the explosion.

I looked over to the Soul Reaper, his face covered by the cloth of his scarf and his hood. I found my features forming a sad, almost sympathetic look while a gentle smile caressed my lips. A genuine feeling of pity rose in my chest and made me feel bad that Daiki had to see me like this. I couldn't explain to him the situation, or why I was actually doing this.

I just hoped that he would understand when it was all over.

* * *

"She sure didn't seem like the girl I tolerated," Kensei said, deactivating his Shikai and sheathing his blade.

The air was thick with spiritual pressure as all of the available Captains were starting to arrive one by one at the scene of where the skirmish with the exile in question had taken place. They had resolved themselves to sift through the residue of her spiritual pressure to gain some sort of insight as to her intentions. They were getting no where with there investigations, needless to say. The girl knew from what little training she got in it from the Soul Reaper Academy, Misami was able to hide the majority of the hidden clues in her spiritual pressure. But there was one thing that was largely confusing, a message that was left behind. It wasn't all that readable, though, since it was a mixture of emotions and words in one message. The emotional part of it warped the words, and the words made the emotions so unimpactful that they couldn't tell what they were. The Captain and Lieutenant of Squad Five had yet to arrive at the scene.

The Lieutenant of Squad Two was long gone, having disappeared as soon as the white haired girl had receded behind the veil of her Garganta. Komamura, Kensei, Kurotsuchi, Soi Fon, Hitsugaya, and Rose were all standing in the air that had been where Misami had terrorized Squad Twelve. They were all talking among themselves to try and figure our what her next move would be. But they were all people that she didn't normally associate with, some of them not having even met the girl in the five hundred years that she'd served the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. It only added to the mystery of the girl that only six beings knew what she was really like, two of them were the stronger of the Thirteen Captains. Rukia, Ichigo, Byakuya, Takeshi, Daiki, and Nel were the ones that knew Misami Kuchiki. And they were all absent from this battleground.

"Attention, all Captains," The Head Captain's strong voice sounded through the air, "The situation has changed. The exile Misami Kuchiki is to be engaged without question or warning. She must be brought back alive. With this latest offense, she is to be considered and enemy of the Soul Society. Her skill and power are far too dangerous for us to ignore."

"Yes, Head Captain," Said all those that wore a Captain's Haori.

With that, the old man disappeared in a Flash Step. The Captains, finding no reason to linger, receded back to their respective Barracks. The news of the attack had already spread far past any hope of containment. It spread like wild fire, every Soul Reaper knowing what had happened. If their plan was to make sure that the Seireitei hated Misami, then it was working absolutely perfectly. The Captains could only sit back and watch as the Soul Reapers started to despise the girl that used to be their mascot or their role model. They all didn't even think to search for the six beings that knew the girl in question, and didn't sense that they were all congregating in the Kuchiki Manor...

_Ten minutes later..._

"What now?" Takeshi grumbled without much restraint.

"While you are all in my house, you will act with respect," Byakuya said in his notorious monotone of detachment.

The Arrancar that the statement was aimed at merely grumbled again, but this time with a more restrained vigor.

The instant the news of Misami's second attack on the Soul Society, they had all come here. Daiki had to leave for an assignment, and was not present. Rukia calmly sipped her tea, taking a bite of a small morsel of a main course that had been served by the chefs of the Kuchiki Clan. Byakuya was sitting at the head of the table with a similar meal, both of the Kuchiki's having their trademark masks of stoic expressions that got under so many Soul Reapers' and Hollows' skin. Takeshi was at the opposite end of the table, with no need of food, with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face. Nel sat beside him, giving him a look that could be interpreted as patronizing so that he would loosen up before he gained enough anger to burst. Lastly, Ichigo sat in between Nel and Rukia with his chin resting on his fist, deep in concentrated thought. They were all sharing in the worry of Misami's mental state and well being. They had come here to the Kuchiki manor in order to come up with a plan that they could use to get their loved one back.

"Maybe she left a message?" Rukia tried, looking first to her left and right, "Or some kind of clue to tell us why she's on their side?"

"How would she leave that without blowing her cover?" Ichigo said, sighing.

They had all agreed unanimously that the white haired girl had defected as an independent double agent for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. They all knew that something as trivial as a fair punishment would set her off so much that she would defect. And seeing as she had the control to use such high level Kido, and remain calm without going into a berzerker trance like before, they knew that there was no way that she could _not _be in control of herself. All of them knew how loyal and dedicated she was to those she felt indebted to, so it was entirely possible that she was able to execute the missions that that Hollows were giving her if she thought she was doing it for them in some way, shape, or form. What made it obvious that she was doing it for the Court Guard Squads would be the fact that she didn't fight the Captains head on. Against one of the Captain's, especially one that specialized in close quarters combat, she could have easily used her amazing speed and Kido affinity to slow the Captain of Squad Nine. The fact that she didn't could very well mean that she wanted the Seireitei to have enough strong Soul Reapers to combat the impending invasion of the Soul Society.

"Well I doubt she would be able to hide a piece of paper," Rukia nodded, "Maybe if we were to somehow confront her if she comes back? Maybe she would be able to show us what she was planning?"

"What about the other Captains?" Nel asked, a worried look on her face, "You heard the what the Head Captain said. They won't even try to talk to her."

"Yeah," Takeshi shook his head, "And knowing our luck, she'll be up against Kenpachi or Soi Fon."

"Should we try to contact her?" Rukia asked tentatively, knowing that it wasn't a good idea.

"How would we be able to without it getting traced by either side," Byakuya stated calmly, taking a small sip from his tea, "The Head Captain and Captain Soi Fon have probably sent Lieutenant Daiki out on an assignment to spy on the Vasto Lorde and Misami."

"What if she left one just now?" Rukia asked with a painfully hopeful tone that was so unlike her.

"You never know," Ichigo said, trying to comfort his wife in a moment of weakness.

Ichigo and Rukia had spent a lot of time together in the recent days, both of them worried sick about Misami. Rukia was more torn up about it than Ichigo, but not by much. They'd secluded themselves in work and in private areas away from the Squad to sort out their feelings and troubles between each other. Had it not been for Ichigo's love, Rukia would no doubt have shut down like when Lieutenant Kaien had passed. Ichigo, frankly, had no idea what he would be feeling if Rukia hadn't kept him in check. He probably would have tried to rescue her from the Hollows, whether she wanted to be "saved" or not. He would have probably lost his position for treason or some other offense in his race to get his friend back. His habit of being protective of those that are close to him had that sort of affect on his luck. Takeshi and Nel didn't have this problem. It was completely obvious to everyone that they cared. Takeshi, since he was actually talking to the Soul Reapers without any scorn in his tone, and Nel because Misami was one of the few Soul Reapers that she had befriended in her short time in the Seireitei. Daiki was a mystery to them, since he rarely ever spoke of hims feelings for anything. He was very through in masking every single intention he had, every thing that he considered dear to him was a mystery. All except for Misami, something he cared for so much that there was no way even he could hide it.

They all sat in silence, thinking hard for an answer.

* * *

"So you're back, Subject 23?" Lord Flamun said in a bored tone.

"Yes," I responded in a distant tone, hollow of emotion.

I stood at the threshold of the Vasto Lorde's meeting room, the white of my new outfit making me stand out from the shadows. The thirteen of them were sitting all in the chairs of the Espada, with the three Vasto Lorde that Takeshi had trained standing at its head as their authority. The collective spiritual pressure of all of the Vasto Lorde was irritating my sense of balance and my breathing, my body having to adjust as though the atmosphere in the room was thicker then the halls beyond the threshold. I felt an over whelming sense of exasperation for the Vasto Lorde I worked for, the way that they operated seemed far too inefficient to me. All Lord Flamun ever did was send me today, leaving the entirety of his forces in Hueco Mundo to sit and twiddle their thumbs. I understood that I was strong, and that I could handle the assignments that were given to me, but I didn't understand why he didn't just send me on one while others went at least as a distraction.

I moved inside the room, silently leaning against the walls of the meeting room. I closed my eyes, using my spiritual pressure sensing abilities to see them as spiritual beings instead of their physical appearance. I could tell from their signatures that they were annoyed with my presence, to put it lightly. I dropped my head, burrowing my nose into the cloth of my tattered white scarf. Bored, I resigned myself to awaiting my next orders at the wall while Lord Flamun spoke to the Vasto Lorde. They were all surreptitiously keeping tabs on me, the mysterious outsider that had unknown reasons for being here. They all trusted me as much as they would if I openly stated that I had an ulterior motive. I really couldn't care less what they thought of me, since the thoughts of Lord Agramon and Torak, along with their fearless leader. They were the ones that I needed to convince that I was on their side, since they were in command of the other Vasto Lorde. They had the alpha beings of the Hollow world under their thumb, and enough lesser Hollows to quell the most defiant of oppositions. When I found out the full scale of the Hollow's that the Vasto Lorde had assembled, I began to have doubts that they would have much need of me. I was proven wrong.

There was a massive power signature that was approaching the meeting room. It was no where near Kenpachi's, or Takeshi's, but I could tell that it was a strong opponent. I sensed his presence as soon as I had returned an hour ago, having recovered my expended spiritual pressure with a half hour of rest. He was the Espada that Ichigo had told me about in his stories of their attack on the palace of Las Noches, the one that had saved his life only to have him fight the orange haired hybrid.

"So you're the white haired girl?" The blue haired Arrancar's confident tone silenced the Vasto Lorde in the middle of their discussion.

I opened my eyes, looking at him.

"Do you not know who I am?" He asked me with an incredulous tone.

"Yes," I responded tersely, not feeling overly generous with my voice.

Grimmjow's smirk faltered, a scowl adorning his features, "Is that how you talk your superiors, shorty?"

I pushed off of the wall I had been leaning on, the Arrancar's words striking a cord that should never be strung. I looked at him through the corner of my eye, as if he wasn't worth the energy to turn towards him. I released a small amount of my spiritual pressure in anger, since I had been suppressing it so that no one could gauge my power. I released it a little too quickly, and my body began to glow as a result. That light, pure as snow, cast shadows on my features and made my overall expression that of absolute ire. My hair, my clothes, and the small bits of rubble at my feet all started to move as though there was no gravity. The tails of my scarf rose from my back and drifted about my body along with my hair. The strange atmospheric effects if high pleasure spiritual power was a scary thing in light of the anger it was laced with. Menace hung in the air like the stink of death.

Grimmjow took the smallest, subconscious step back at the change in my demeanor. To go from bored, exasperated, and distant to something that would resemble a death glare mixing with a spiritual pressure wave that made me look ten times as strong as I was a moment ago was a startling and jogging switch. The Vasto Lorde let out a collective gasp in one form or another, but that wouldn't have reached even the one next to them because of the sound of Grimmjow's laughter.

Great heaves of his chest accompanied the maniacal laughter that only came form those that were addicted to fighting. Only Kenpachi, Takeshi, and recently myself had laughed like that, and it was always right before a battle of some form. I could see the excitement in his eyes, the power that he could see with those light blue irises was giving his such joy that he could scarcely contain his happiness. He was one of the few beings, similar to Kenpachi and Takeshi, that lusted for battle. He craved it, though for different reasons then the psychopaths that he resembled, and had obviously suffered withdrawals in the centuries that had filled the gap between the Winter War and the present. The Sexta Espada was looking at me with some respect now, but mostly out of the fact that he expected to fight me and was gauging my strength. Despite my only releasing a small amount of spiritual pressure, not even touching the powers that lay dormant within me, he seemed to enjoy the thought of fighting me.

"That look in your eyes," He said intensely with the rumble of my spiritual pressure as background noise, "That's the look of a killer. I like it."

"What do you want with me," I asked, though my tone did not really seem to invite an answer.

"You know exactly what I want, little girl," Grimmjow grinned, the jaw bone that made up the remnants of his Hollow mask rising slightly.

I suppressed my spiritual pressure. I closed my eyes slowly in the ensuing pregnant silence, letting out a sigh that filled the void of sound. The Vasto Lorde were watching me, seeing what the smallest micro-expression could tell them about my next move. Without opening my eyes, using my memory of the layout of the palace, I walked past Grimmjow through the door of the meeting room. I crossed the threshold and began the lengthy walk towards the sands of the inside dome of Las Noches.

I sensed the blue haired Arrancar behind me, chuckling with excitement that was barely contained. The Vasto Lorde, though cautiously, continued on in their conversations without further interruption. The Hollows that were in the halls, patrolling the grounds in and around the palace scattered out of my way. They chose alternate routes of travel almost instinctively, as they did for the Vasto Lorde. Since I was their ally, and at the level of power I was, I was treated similarly to their superiors. Though the relationship that I had with them was more like that of a mercenary to the soldiers of the army that had hired me. I was never going to call them comrades, since they were an entirely different type of being then me. But, if I were to think that way without being hypocritical, I would also have to say that I didn't consider anyone from the Soul Society as a comrade either. I was the one soul survivor of Aizen's experiments, the only one to live with the Hollow part of my soul not controlling my body, and because of that I would always be alone in some way.

The grey and dark shadows of the palace hallways gave way to painful light. The facade of a sky that Aizen had created was still here after five hundred years of neglect. The sky that had been painted with soft clouds was nothing but an illusion that defied the eternal night's darkness outside the walls of Las Noches. The hole that was made in the ceiling of the dome-like area from Ichigo's fight with Ulquiorra remained as well. The red pillars that jutted out of the sand, of their purpose I had no idea, the white buildings standing tall despite their age. This had been the battle ground for the biggest fights in the invasion of this palace during the Winter War. I knew that Ichigo had almost died here, one two separate occasions, and that Rukia was used to try and kill my brother while she was unconscious. Nel had been saved by Ichigo from the sands of the deserts surrounding the palace, brought here by Ichigo despite her being a helpless little child at the time. All of this history, and I had been tormented here long before any of this had happened. The facilities that made my agony possible were in the multitude of rooms and corridors that had been neglected in the Winter War, the Captains and Soul Society having no time to spare with the attacks and schemes of Aizen.

Oh how I hated that name. How much I despised that man. The depth of contempt that I had for him. If only he weren't so powerful, otherwise I'd kill him the instant I had the change. But my desire for some form of vengeance would have to be far more heated for me to lose sight of reason. I was no fool, and I knew that there was nothing that I could do that would draw more then a few drops of blood from his wretched body. I would have to be even more powerful to have any hope of killing him, since my Bankai was still imperfect in is immaturity.

"So, are we going to fight or what?" Grimmjow asked as we neared the center of the dome like area.

I stopped in front of one of the strange red pillars, not turning to face the Arrancar behind me, "Who said that we were going to fight, Sexta Espada?"

He blinked, growling like an angered animal, "You know, I can't let a little Soul Reaper run around Las Noches and making everyone think I'm weak."

I turned my head, looking at him with the corner of my vision, "It's not my problem."

"Well then..." He said menacingly, cackling slightly as the rasp of his blade being drawn cut through the air, "I guess I'll just have to _make _you care, won't I?"

And with that, a wave of spiritual pressure slammed into me as he pushed off in a Sonido.

* * *

Wave after wave of spiritual pressure washed over the Seireitei, practically slamming into the very souls of those unfortunate enough to be close to the fight which was causing them. Weaker Soul Reapers, ones that had been freshly shipped in from the Soul Reaper Academy, were actually brought to their knees because of the pressure. Higher ranking officers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were forced to make sure to take deep breaths, so that they didn't forget to breath in the thickened atmosphere of the Squad Eleven Barracks. The Arrancar that Misami had brought with here to the Seireitei was fighting with the Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, leveling buildings with one casual slash of his blade. He wasn't using everything in his power, however, since he had yet to release his sword's strength. This was well known that this Arrancar was the only one that could fight with Kenpachi without using his released state, and everyone feared him for that among many reasons. Takeshi Yagami was a formidable force, and the only two people that could control him weren't in sight.

The Captain of Squad Five, Ichigo Kurosaki, was his glorified babysitter for the day. Rukia had to take Nel and deal with an issue in the Barracks between females, so he was left with the honorable duty of watching these two monsters slash themselves empty of blood while laughing like it was the best thing in the entire Soul Society. There really wasn't much of anything that he could do, since he didn't have all that much leverage with either party. Takeshi had verbally made sure he knew that he saw him as nothing more then the man that knew his beloved Misami, though in not such kind words. And though he still asked it from time to time, Kenpachi didn't ask Ichigo all that much for a fight anymore, since he now had Takeshi to do that with. If anything, Ichigo saw this as nothing more then a distraction from reality. The reality that Misami was looking more and more like a willing accomplice.

Takeshi swung his sword again and again, pounding on Kenpachi's defenses. He was grinning, slashing in a seemingly endless barrage of attacks. The steel glint of his blade reflected his eagerness of battle, the sword having begun to chip in some places just like his opponent's. There were s decent amount of tears in his Shihakusho, but they were mostly in the trousers because of the fact that he didn't have much covering his chest. A sleeveless and open fronted version of the Shihakusho's top was all that obscured his abs and Hollow hole. He was not even paying attention to the wounds that he was sustaining as he cut and hacked, Takeshi was in a sort of trance that allowed him to temporarily forget about the situation with Misami.

Though he wouldn't admit it, most of their inner circle knew that the Arrancar cared deeply for the white haired Soul Reaper. This was one of the first fights that Ichigo had seen where the Arrancar had not started it with a blood filled look in his eyes. Though it was in his face so as not to seem different then his usual self, the absence of it in his gaze meant that it couldn't have existed in his heart at that moment. He had fought for all of ten minuted before the heat of battle sent him over into a strange controlled-berserker's frenzy. Kenpachi, having never wanting _not_ to fight, didn't seem to notice at all. And frankly, didn't much care. Since Takeshi seemed to be holding nothing back except his released form, Kenpachi was enjoying this far more then his other spars with the Arrancar.

Takeshi suddenly broke his own combo and surged towards Kenpachi, charging a Cero. Kenpachi's grin grew as he prepared to take the blow head on, muscles tensing in anticipation. The blood red Cero blasted forwards, the telltale sound of the Hollow blast attack filling the air as it ripped through space. He laughed like a lunatic, the power of the Cero blasting his body with immense power. Soul Reapers that had gathered to watch were astonished by the shock wave of the attack.

But, as expected of the Captain of Squad Eleven, Kenpachi was almost unharmed by the attack. Though a little burned, Kenpachi retained his laughter through the entire attack. Taking the ensuing pause as his que, the massive man surged forwards with his blade. Using his spiritual pressure to deflect a small Bala from the Arrancar, Kenpachi brought his blade down on Takeshi. The steel cut deep into his chest, blood gushing from the wound like a fountain of crimson. Takeshi grit his teeth, a look of annoyance crossing his features before the look of maniacal joy reclaimed his hard-edged features. He tried to deflect the next slash, but the first had knocked him off balance enough to throw off his efforts. This next cut hacked off his left arm, sending the disconnected flesh to the side while Kenpachi slammed his body into the Arrancar with his large shoulder.

Grunting in pain, the body that belonged to Takeshi flew across the sparring area with a trail of blood marking its path. He hurtled into a wall a small while later, blood that had been traveling with him splattered around him as his high speed regeneration began to mend his wounds. The white bubbling of his flesh as his Hollow abilities worked was the only noise that he could really hear. Kenpachi's taunts soon worked their way to his brain, however, and he rose without really having a thought about doing so. Rubble fell away from him, heralding the moment when he had finished standing on his feet. Kenpachi's laughter abruptly halted, making the silence that followed almost piercing.

"This is borin'," Kenpachi grumbled turning to leave as Yachiru appeared behind him, "Next time you wanna fight, at least try to make it interesting."

Takeshi lifting his head, knew that Kenpachi had seen through his facade. Takeshi grit his teeth, the thoughts of Misami that he had hoped would stay at bay flooded over him. Their weight brought him down to his knees, his jaw clenching with the painful grief he had from all his worrying. Ichigo watched from his vantage point and had appeared by Takeshi's side. He didn't offer any sympathy, didn't lie to him to make him feel better, nor did he move any closer. He just stood next to him and waited for the outpouring of emotions that came with a close friend's strife. The uncertainty and the irrational thinking that came with her absence was oppressive, and Takeshi had no idea how to handle it. He clenched his fist, angry that his temporary relief from those painful thoughts was cut short from a moment of weakness.

"Let's go, Takeshi," Ichigo said after a long pause, "We have something we have to take care of before Misami comes back."

Takeshi scoffed, "Yeah, whatever..."


	23. A Demon's Betrayal

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I wish you all a happy Holiday! I know that it has been a long time since I've updated, but life got in the way and I haven't had the time to write. And the majority of times that I did have time, Writer's block decided it was a good idea to visit. So, with that said, I hope that you all enjoy this latest addition to the story by the name of Prodigy!** **Thank you, lizy2000, for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the addition of Grimmjow, since he's one of my favorite characters from the series!** **Thank you, Krispy, for reviewing! What you say is true, it is very likely that the Soul Society won't just let Misami waltz right back in after destroying Hanging Dog and half the Seireitei, even if there's a good amount of people that would be totally fine with that. But, what I can say is that there are plenty of people in the Soul Society that would help Misami out...Thanks for reading the story, and I hope that you continue to review!** **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, just the plot, the ideas, and my many OCs. **

The wounds that I sustained in my last encounter with the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were getting on my nerves. Flamun had given me an antidote, though he grumbled about how difficult it had been to make, for Mayuri's Zanpakuto wound. My arm, broken by a hard punch by Kensei, was useless in combat. Because of that, I couldn't release my Shikai until my rudimentary Hollow abilities healed it. Which meant a few hours at most. Sadly, Grimmjow wanted to fight right now.

He slammed into me with a hard punch to my stomach, where the stitches of the poisoned cut I'd gotten couldn't hold. Fresh blood flowed onto my clothes, while I coughed up some. The display made it look like I was far weaker then I was, since it took one punch to bring me to my knees. I hadn't even drawn my swords yet. The gathering crowd of hollow cheered on Grimmjow in a chorus of howls. They wanted me to be defeated, for the Soul Reaper turn-coat to know failure before allies. That was just the way that they were, the strong controlled the weak. The weak followed the strong. But with the addition of me, some thing that was equal to the Vasto Lorde, they were unsure.

None of that mattered now, not when I was bleeding against a cracked rock outcropping. I felt something that I never thought I'd feel in a long while. I could feel my annoyance for the Arrancar's lust for fighting despite my condition grow. Couldn't they all just leave me alone, at least until my arm was healed? They seemed to be trying to send me on missions, or sending me to fights, non-stop to see what my limit was. Or they were trying to make me weak enough to take me down. I couldn't care less. Right at that moment, I just wanted to end this useless skirmish so I could focus on healing my broken arm and ruptured abs.

"That all ya got, Soul Reaper?" Grimmjow exclaimed, like he thought that me silence as submission as he started to laugh.

I looked at him through my white bangs, the hair-pins having been dislodged and my hair disheveled to make me appear from the Rukkon again. I stood, the sudden motion forcing me to cough up even more blood then before, the crimson liquid splattering the white sands before my feet. Grimmjow's laughter stopped soon after that. My annoyance was reaching a fever pitch, my spiritual pressure starting to ooze out of my body in a black and white aura of flaming power. I reached for the sword at my back with my right hand, my left being the one with a broken bone. The meticulousness of my motion caught his eyes, and Grimmjow grinned. I started towards the Espada deliberately drawing out the approach to allow for me to try and calm myself. Grimmjow took it as a motion of menace and decided it was a good idea to come flying at me with a half-cocked punch.

I saw him coming from a mile away, side-stepping to the left and holding out my sword arm in his path. He saw my move, and made to duck under the waiting clothes-line attempt for a slash at my unprotected side. That is, until my left shin collided with his face in a vicious spin-kick. Grimmjow went flying through the air and into a very close by stone pillar. The Hollows that had been watching stopped their howling almost instantaneously, staring at me with a predatory hatred behind the cover of the rubble around the area.

"Quit with the cheap tricks, Soul Reaper," Grimmjow said, spitting on the ground as the smoke cleared, "I came here for a good fight!"

"You expect a good fight without giving me one, Espada?" I said, looking at him from the corner of my eye as I stopped my slow advance, "I have a poisoned wound and a broken arm and I can still fare this well? Disappointing."

"What the heck are you saying, short-stack?" Grimmjow hissed, "That I'm-"

He stopped as soon as he realized that I was behind him with a blade to his throat, and I menacingly whispered into his ear so the Hollows wouldn't hear, "I'll give you what you want, but you'll have to bare with me since fighting with a broken arm while duel-wielding leaves me with a bit of a handicap."

My answer was a head butt to my nose. The cartilage cracked and shattered, blood gushing while intense pain blinded me for a second as my nose was broken. Blood splattered my face, my bangs somehow getting coated with crimson. He'd broken my nose. He actually broke my nose.

Grimmjow Sonido'ed away facing me with a cocky grin on his face that was partially covered my the jaw bone of a Hollow mask he had. I slowly, extremely carefully, moved my broken arm to my face. I ignored the pain that protested against the motion, too shocked to care. I touched my small nose and activated a healing Kido in my palm. The healing spell took a good amount of spiritual pressure, but there was no way that it was going to have any noticeable change to my complexion. With that settled, I moved my hand away from my face and saw the blood that had come from the wound. I stared my my hand, covered in crimson liquid. Annoyed was now far more of an understatement at this point. All of my frustration with this undercover operation, all of the pain of leaving everything that I loved, the horror of having to destroy Hanging Dog and so much of the Seireitei, of betraying my loved ones, and finally this entire situation that I was in with the Vasto Lorde all came rushing over me.

I was angry now.

A colossal pillar of black, white-accented spiritual pressure, laced with such anger that it made the sands melt, towered into the fake skies of the palace of Las Noches. It slammed into the roof of the dome and shattered it without even stopping. As boulder-sized chunks of rubble fell, and small rocks began to float as a result of the release of energy, I stared at Grimmjow to focus my anger. This way, I would be able to release some of the tension that I had been feeling. No matter how stupid and childish it was to take out my anger on others, I was beyond caring. It was all I could do to stop myself from going for his throat.

I sheathed my sword at my back and moved my right arm towards my broken left. Then, as I held it before me without looking, I forced the bone into place and slammed it with such a high density healing Kido that it mended. There was no shortage of pain, but the adrenaline and anger running through me made it nonexistent.

I closed off the massive pillar or spiritual pressure, the black white-accented flames died down to just flickering on my skin. To everyone else, it looked as though I were drenched in demon-fire. I moved my left hand to the hilt at my hip, reaching up with my right for the hilt at my back. I ripped my swords out of their sheaths with a sadistic glint in my eyes. Whatever had come over me, this anger, was making me all but through with someone as petty as Grimmjow. I felt the overwhelming desire to put the cocky Arrancar in his place.

I flipped my left sword into a reverse grip, all while staring at the blue haired Arrancar. He was grinning, an excited look in his eyes that could almost be mistaken for insanity.

"What's this? Changing you're technique before you even start?" Grimmjow said, trying to coax me into more anger.

He didn't even need to try, my ire already reaching higher levels by the second, "No, actually. Just taking out the trash."

I impaled the ground with my left sword, black shadow flames erupted in a torrent of power. The flickering darkness engulfed the sands and my sword as if they were a dark alter. I stared at Grimmjow with a menacing glare, my right sword igniting in white flames of pure spiritual pressure. He looked confused, excited, and cautious at the same time. He seemed to have a history with Soul Reapers, so he must have known that what I was doing was my sword release. The tattered cloth of my cape-like jacket flapped in the dark flames while the white of my scarf's twin tails and my hair seemed to glow along with the pure flames. That must have had some impact on the way that Grimmjow looked at this fight. Though, it seemed to only excite him all the more.

Thankfully, Hikari made sure to put a limiter on our power so that Hollow Hikari wouldn't overdo it and give away more then what was needed to be revealed. Hollow Hikari couldn't care less whether or not there was a limiter, since she had an unquenchable thirst for battle. But there was a major difference between Hollow Hikari and Takeshi and Kenpachi. That difference being that Hollow Hikari also had a very animalistic blood lust. She craved battle not only for the thrill of adrenaline putting our life in the line brought, but also the chance to be able to gut strong beings and feast on their blood. I could tell this much just from the way that she was looking from within at Grimmjow. She was using my anger for the Arrancar's stupid actions to coax me into giving her a chance to let loose. I didn't care either way, so long as the blue-haired idiot was beaten and my cover kept from being blown.

I brought down the white flaming pommel of my right sword onto the pommel of the shadow blade in the ground. My spiritual pressure, having long been suppressed for various reasons, was partially released. Another enormous pillar of spiritual pressure erupted, white streaks shooting into the sky. In the back of my mind I knew that the three Vasto Lorde that I was serving were watching this fight and analyzing me. Due to that fact, I wasn't about to show them my full potential just because I lost my temper. This was a subconscious thought process, however, since all I wanted was to cleave the blue-haired idiot in front of me in half. The massive pillar of spiritual pressure reaching a whole new level of destruction as my anger fueled its flames.

I felt the power rush through me as I said these words in the most sinister voice, "_Splinter, Hikari no Tenshi._"

* * *

"What the heck were you thinking, Ichigo?" Rukia glared at her husband, hands on her hips.

"What?" Ichigo said, looking towards the Garganta that was waiting for them, "It's not like we haven't done this before."

Rukia jabbed Ichigo in the side, eliciting a grunt of pain from the carrot-top Captain as she chided him, "That was _before _you became the head of the Shiba Clan, associated with the Kuchiki Clan, and became a Captain! What do you think the Soul Society will think if they find out one of the most influential men in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads grabbed two Arrancars and his Lieutenant and went rogue!? Idiot!"

"Smooth, Carrot-top," Takeshi chimed in, crossing his arms, "If this wasn't for Misami, I'd just go home right now."

"Exactly!" Ichigo exclaimed, "This is for Misami! Who cares what the Soul Society thinks if we get her back in the end?"

The other three were silent as they took in the Captain's words. That was how they all felt, after all. The three of them missed Misami more then anyone, but among them were Byakuya Kuchiki, Jushiro Ukitake, and Shunsui Kyoraku. Ichigo had made it a point, as far back as when he had rescued Rukia from her execution on Sokyoku Hill, that he didn't care about the rules and customs of the Soul Society if it meant that his friends would get hurt in the process. He even told this to the Head Captain the day of his appointment as Squad Five Captain, saying that he would always chose his friends over his reputation and standing. Since the Head Captain seemed to expect this, Ichigo had no doubts that he wouldn't be surprised when he learned of this group's departure.

"Then lead the way, Ichigo!" Nel beamed, leaping up with a fist in the air.

Ichigo smiled, turning towards the Garganta that had been opened by Takeshi. Convincing the Arrancar to come wasn't that hard of a task, the mere mention of the white-haired Kuchiki's name sold him on the idea. Though generally annoyed with the Squad Five Captain, he made an effort to work with him in order to get Misami back. Ichigo knew that it was the only thing that was making the battle-hungry Arrancar comply. That, and the fact that Nel was here.

"Hold it, Ichigo!" Called a voice from behind the four of them, just before they could cross the threshold.

Ichigo turned around to find the Captains of Squad Thirteen and Eight running towards them, a strange look on their features.

"What is it, Captain Ukitake?" Ichigo looked puzzled, having thought the two of them supported their plan to rescue their friend.

"You can't go, Ichigo," Ukitake said, shaking his head, "The Head Captain said that we need you to be here when the Hollows invade."

"What?" The orange haired Captain in question raised an eyebrow, "I thought we figured out that they were attacking next week. That's plenty of time to get Misami back."

"That's old intel," A familiar gruff voice interupted the Squad Thirteen Captain's response, the hooded Soul Reaper that it belonged to appearing out of the shadows.

"Daiki," Ichigo stated the Soul Reaper's name, "Where'd you come from?"

"Doesn't matter," Daiki said, turning to face the orange haired Captain, "What matters is the Hollows are going to invade in less than three days."

"That's just fantastic," Takeshi growled, turning towards the Garganta, "Well, all the more reason to get her back."

"Wait!" Ukitake yelled appearing before the Arrancar just as he was about to cross the threshold.

"Out of my way, old man," Takeshi hissed.

When the white haired Captain didn't move, Takeshi suddenly became a blur. In that instant, Jushiro's stomach was sliced open by Takeshi's sword. The motion had been so fast that it didn't even seem that the blade hadn't even left the sheath it lay in. All present, aside from Daiki, stared disbelieving at the scene in front of them. Shunsui released his sword into its Shikai without saying the command, quickly sending both blades towards the Arrancar in an attempt to catch him off guard. Takeshi didn't even flinch as he whirled around to deflect the blows.

In the still moment when Shunsui was suspended in air due to the parry, Takeshi aimed his extended fingers at the Captain. A minute Cero suddenly exploded from his fingertips and into the flamboyant Captain's chest. Flying across the small dead-end that they were standing in, Shunsui slammed into a wall and shattered the structure.

"I'll only tell you this once, so listen up Soul Reapers," Takeshi said, addressing not just the two Captains he defeated but everyone present, "I am not loyal to any of you. The Thirteen Court Guard Squads can burn, for all I care. The only reason that I have not broken any laws and followed your orders is because Misami said so. So don't think for a second that I would listen to you idiots and betray her. I'm going after Misami Kuchiki, and I'm going to save her even if if have to fight the Guard Squads _and_ the Hollow army at the same time."

And with that, Takeshi turned and walked through the Garganta.

* * *

Grimmjow was a fool. A complete idiot that never took a hint that I was not in the mood for his stupidity.

More then that, he had a habit of underestimating me due to my size and the amount of spiritual pressure that I was allowing him to sense. Granted, I was suppressing the majority of my spiritual pressure from him, but it annoyed me nonetheless.

My anger was increasing my stamina, on top of the endurance that I earned through my Bankai training, so I could use the powers of my Shikai much more then I normally could. Instead of ten as a max, I was running on twenty five uses of the Hikari no Dansu power afforded to me by my light blade. The Kage no Kushi ability had remained unused, since I'd rather save that surprise for a battle with the Vasto Lorde that were beating my whip. With all that considered, I was able to hold my own against the Sixth Espada.

By now, Grimmjow had gotten somewhat used to my light speed technique. By that, I meant that he knew to run when I suddenly disappeared from his sight. The Vasto Lorde were watching me closely, taking advantage of the skirmish to see the way that I fought. The Hollows were howling in favor of their superior in his battle to defeat me.

I slashed with my right sword at Grimmjow's midsection, which he blocked easily. Turning my body into a full rotation, I slammed my left into his defense. As soon as the second blow knocked the Arrancar off balance, I was already finished with my spin and bringing to bare my blades on his open flank. My swords bit into the flesh of the Arrancar's armored skin, blood welling from the wounds. I wrenched my swords out of his stomach, stabbing at the center of his chest with my left sword. The blue-haired Arrancar jumped back with a grunt of annoyance, the wounds that I inflicted seeming to be ineffective. I surged forwards, hoping to catch him on the defensive soon enough to break his guard and slice of the flesh of his abdomen.

He managed to change direction and slam an elbow into my cheek, sending me flying into a red rock pillar. The pillar crumbled with the impact. Pain exploded throughout my body, the rocks landing on my arms and almost knocking my swords from my grip. Then the pain was gone, replaced by utter fury. A momentary burst of spiritual pressure and the rocks were disintegrated into nothingness. Grimmjow's eyes widened, his guard having been lowered when he saw me crash into the pillar. One use of Hikari no Dansu, Dance of Light, and I had gained the upper hand. I skewered his chest, wrenching the blade out as I sliced at his Achilles Tendon. Blood splattered the white cloth of my new outfit, some of it blemishing the white scarf that I had gotten from Yoruichi all that time ago.

"What the-!?" Grimmjow growled, "Die!"

His sword rushed towards me, towards my skull. I jerked to the side, but the way that my arms were positioned, I couldn't completely dodge the blow. The metal of the blade sunk into my shoulder, biting into the flesh. I drew a sharp intake of breath, trying to ignore the pain as I surged forwards to get out of his reach. Since Grimmjow was much taller then me, trying to cut me was difficult. He had to be careful not to cut him self, or merely over shoot the blow and land it into the ground.

My tactic worked, and I undercut the next blow which caused Grimmjow's blade to hit the ground. I dove between his legs, whirling around to slice every bit of flesh before I went all the way through. I hit the ground, rolled, and stopped facing Grimmjow on one knee.

"Hado No. 4: Byakurai," I said, the lighting of the attack spell racing towards the Arrancar.

"You little brat!" Grimmjow growled, taking the spell at full force since I was able to slice enough tendons for his regenerative abilities to be busy.

The smoke that resulted from the attack clouded Grimmjow's form from view, and I found myself squinting to see past it. I didn't have to look very hard, since his broke out of the artificial fog and raced towards me with a crazed look of anger in his blue eyes. He charged, wrenching his sword through the air towards my throat in a fit of anger. I grinned, my hair falling to cover my eyes from view. The sinister nature of my expression could only be explained by the Hollow within me gaining control of my body. The anger that I felt had made it almost too easy for the monster in me to take over.

**I'll be taking over from here, Princess, **came the confirmation from Hollow Hikari in an almost evil tone.

* * *

The sands of the desert were as plain as they ever were. Takeshi was annoyed that it had taken this long for them to walk as far as they did. Ichigo and Rukia, despite being powerful Soul Reapers, took a break every so often. Nel and Takeshi, having lived with the harsh life style that came with the lands of Hueco Muendo, needed no such thing. Daiki, seeming to always be the exception in the case, also didn't need to stop. There was also the added hindrance of fighting off the occasional bout of Hollows.

"How much further?" Rukia asked, catching up to Takeshi and Nel as they lead the way.

Takeshi shrugged, "Couldn't say. But it shouldn't take more then five more hours."

"That long?" Rukia blinked seeing agitated, "Who knows what those monsters are doing to my sister!"

Another shrug was the Arrancar's response, "Calm down. Worrying doesn't make your feet move any faster then they already are."

Rukia bit back what she was going to say, and Takeshi didn't care to know what it was she thought. Knowing wouldn't make the situation any more bearable. It was all Takeshi could do not to leave them in the dust and charge out there all by himself, to rescue her as quickly as possible. But he knew that barging into the base was not the best idea. Because if he did, there was a highly likely chance that he'd either get stabbed in the back by Agramon, or be forced to fight Misami under Flamun's orders. Either case would be less then desirable, especially the latter. Takeshi still felt bad about hitting his unofficially-adopted younger sister's head.

The palace of Las Noches was in sight, however. The massive structure so massive it looked as though it were right before them instead of several kilometers away. Nel's pet worm Fraccion, whatever it was, was no where to be found. Nel was worried about it, but Takeshi had a feeling that it was simply unable to come. It would have made little difference, anyways, since it would have most likely been targeted by lesser Hollows and been injured. Since four Captain-level spiritual pressures were there, it wasn't surprising to find Hollows hoping for a delicious meal. Their hunger was evident in their eyes, starving for sustenance that only souls could sate.

If nothing else, Takeshi was at least glad that he would be able to see his only friend. It had been a couple weeks since he had last saw her. He remembered the hopelessness in her tone as she told him that she was exiled from the Soul Society. She had grown strong in the last couple of weeks since he'd last laid eyes on her, since he could feel her spiritual pressure when she was attacking Squad Twelve despite the fact that he himself was in Squad Five all the way across the Seireitei. She was feared throughout the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, her name posted as the most wanted criminal in the entire Soul Society. Stories of her demonic power had spread through the Seireitei as rumors during the reception of a video of her destroying Hanging Dog, then like wild fire when she attacked Squad Twelve. Stories that she was actually a demon, that she was even more powerful then Ichigo Kurosaki, that she had no remorse for killing the innocent.

The last one was hard to disprove, since she did in fact destroy an entire Rukkon District single handedly. The only way that Takeshi could see his only friend doing such a thing is to sell a deal. She was loyal to the point of death. If one were to change Ichigo's desire and drive to protect his friends into loyalty to a party, they would get something close to Misami's dedication if they only multiplied it by ten. The point in say that was that Misami was the most loyal in all the Soul Society, the steadfastness to stay at a friend's side against all adversity occurring when she felt an extreme gratitude to a person. In this example, it would be the fact that Rukia and Byakuya had given Misami a loving family to call her own after being all alone for centuries.

Takeshi knew that that was the only reason that Misami would have destroyed her hometown, as well as Rukia's. To save them from destruction by the Hollow army by being a double-agent. But that meant that Flamun was the one to blame for the destruction of the Rukkon District, since he must have ordered that to see if the girl was lying when she came to them. Takeshi was convinced that this was the only explanation, the only reason that Misami would do something so out of character.

"Takeshi," Ichigo was saying while the Arrancar in question pondered these thoughts, "Hey, Takeshi!"

Takeshi blinked, then scowled, "What, carrot-top?"

"Who's that?" Ichigo pointed ahead, scowling in annoyance.

Takeshi looked and saw something that he didn't expect.

An army of Adjuches stood in their way, all of them beginning to charge their Ceros.

* * *

One powerful strike after the other. My body moved on its own as I watched. The Hollow within me was defeating Grimmjow with ease, even though it was using probably a third of my strength.

I felt a growing sense of dread as the Vasto Lorde that were watching me started to become distracted. It was almost like they were planning something and they were about to get into position, or they were sensing something that I couldn't. My senses were solely focused on Grimmjow, the Hollow inside only seeing him and his movements like she knew where they were. Hikari tried to console me, that the Vasto Lorde had not caught on to my facade, but she soon figured out that that wasn't the reason for my stress.

Grimmjow had released his sword not too long ago, but I couldn't remember precisely when. He seemed to have had the idea that deploying it quick enough would be enough to surprise me and give him an advantage. It might have worked if her were fighting the angry version of me that he had been fighting before, but not against me when I was calm or the Hollow that dwelled within. The strange motion of a clawed hand grinding along the flat of his blade was too much like a release motion to be hidden from a trained eye.

_Those Vasto Lorde are making me nervous, _I said, my voice sounding distant as if it didn't come from my lips.

Hikari nodded, or at least I'm pretty sure she did, since I could only sense her presence, _Me too, Master. They're planning something, huh?_

_They have to be, _I responded, flinching as Grimmjow broke through my Hollow's defenses and sliced a shallow cut into my arm.

"What the hell are you?" Grimmjow growled, his pupils pinpricks due to his anger.

My Hollow didn't respond, only continuing with what she had been doing before, which was a breathless and psychotic laughter that was borderline creepy. The clang of metal on the strange armor of the released form of Grimmjow's sword accentuated the laughter, making it sound as if I had lost my mind. My Hollow didn't seem to know how to speak, but she sure knew how to creep people out.

The technique that my Hollow was using was the same as mine, only it used Ceros instead of Hado attacks in between its combinations. The erasing Hollow beam was a black void of a color, with white flame-like accents. The power behind those beams was immense compared to the refined and restrained aura that my Hado spells gave off. The raw killing intent, and the strength in each of my blows was ten times what they usually were. Because of that, there was no real skill being applied to the blows and they were woefully inefficient while being completely effective in oppression. Grimmjow had to change his defensive strategy from guarding against a torrent of small attacks that were relatively mediocre in power, to fighting off massive slamming attacks from both blades in a slower succession. Though, it was relatively fast with respect to the average amount of times that I was hitting the Arrancar.

I took a deep breath, the anger that I was feeling finally starting to subside so that I could start to sense the air around me. Something was off. I thought that it was the Vasto Lorde, but they seemed to be as sinister as they always did judging from their spiritual pressures. What it was was something that was so familiar that it was eerie. In this world of darkness and Hollows, where I had been so used to the presence of the stench that I hardly noticed it any longer, I could feel the presence of five spiritual pressures that I never thought I was going to find in Hueco Muendo.

So they've come for me, it seemed.

Ichigo, Rukia, Daiki, Nel, and Takeshi were racing towards the palace of Las Noches. At least they were, until an army of Adjuches appeared. That explained the slight change in the spiritual pressures of the three Vasto Lorde that I sensed earlier, the minor release of barely contained spite. The three of them hated Soul Reapers as much as they hated weakness, but the betrayal that they felt over Takeshi's leaving was something that was always hanging over their heads despite it having occurred over five hundred years ago.

"Hey, don't you ignore me, pint-size!" Grimmjow growled, reaching out a clawed hand and charging his own Cero.

I blinked, my anger having subsided enough to force my Hollow back into my inner world, and spoke quickly before the Hollow beam could launch, "Hado No. 33: Sokatsui!"

The attack that was a Kuchiki classic Hado burst out of my outstretched hand and met Grimmjow's Cero just as he fired it. The resulting explosion forced both of us back, the sands clouding the air between us. I jumped into the cloud, the dark glow and the glittering of my two Shikai blades following me into the fog of grit. Grimmjow had the same idea, and we met in the middle with a clash of swords. The blue-haired Arrancar grit his teeth and forced his spiritual pressure onto me. I strained, the weight of his power exploiting my weakness of height to gain leverage. Since I wasn't as strong as Takeshi to overcome the disadvantage, I took advantage of the reduced visibility to take a risk.

Redistributing my strength into my right arm, I removed my shadow blade from the dead-lock and dropped the sword. Making sure everything went as planned, I moved my now empty left hand to the other end of my light blade to support it. It made the deadlock far easier to manage, but didn't help my situation since Grimmjow continued to pure on the strength. He grinned again, feeling that he had finally found a weak point in my technique.

I knew that my biggest disadvantage was that I had an extremely hard time fighting with damage. My pain tolerance was high, thanks to the way that I had lived in the past, but my durability was hopelessly low. The three scars on my midsection reminded me of this every single time I looked down or in the mirror. A wound that wouldn't stop most Soul Reapers once it was healed only slightly put me out of action for one and a half weeks, and made me feel dizzy and weak for another week. So all the Arrancar had to do was give me a decent enough wound and he wouldn't have to try all that hard to win.

That is, as long as he didn't anger me enough to ignore my injuries. But, as shown with what happened at the beginning of this fight, I could barely control myself if I were to be that angry.

The slight shaking sound of metal swords pressed against each other filled the air, the intent stares of the Hollow audience burning a hole into my back as I looked into Grimmjow's gaze. He stared at my eyes too, trying to challenge me to a sort of battle of wills. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw my sword falling towards the ground at Grimmjow's feet. My lips curled into a sinister grin, the way that I tended to when something planned worked out in a fight. Grimmjow blinked, realizing that something was up, but it was too late at that point.

The blade that I had dropped impaled the ground, the black sword piercing the shadow of the Arrancar before me.

Blood gushed from the wound, the Arrancar's eyes widening in shock. I moved quickly, taking the sword out of the ground before the Vasto Lorde could hope to figure out the move as the fog began to clear. Ripping the shadow blade out of the ground, making the wound in Grimmjow's chest worsen with the motion, I surged back. The fog began to clear enough to see through, but I had successfully made it look as though I had made the wound the old fashioned way.

Grimmjow fell to his knees the wound bleeding badly. The three Vasto Lorde started to advance on me soon after. No, there were two of them. Agramon wasn't anywhere to be found. I didn't detect anything in their spiritual pressures that told of contempt or distaste, so I didn't think that they had any ill intent in their approach. The Hollows around the area began to disperse, the battle seemingly over. Grimmjow continued to bow on one knee holding his chest, blood still flowing from the wound that he clutched at. The spiritual pressures that belonged to Ichigo, Takeshi, Nel, Rukia, and Daiki were still fighting off the droves of Adjuches, so it would be a while before they made it here. I knew that there would be a tough situation for when they arrived, since there was a high likelihood of the three Vasto Lorde commending me to fight them off as proof of my loyalty, but I still couldn't help but feel happy to see all of my family and friends.

There was a sudden lowering of pressure that made me snap back to reality, something had changed. Just as suddenly, my clothes seemed to began to feel wet. I touched my head to the spot were the feeling come from, confused as to what it could possibly be. My hand came away from my chest coated with crimson, the blood dripping from my quivering digits. Only then did I feel the white hot pain searing my numbed senses. My expression of confusion morphed into a grimace as I found it hard to breathe. I looked around, trying to find the culprit that had stabbed me. My mind was too jumbled to form a train of thought in order to analyse the situation. But the evil auras that they were leaking now told me all I wanted to know despite my mixed up thoughts.

Agramon, the lanky limbed assassin Vasto Lorde, had used his stealth skills and his astonishing speed to knock me while I was distracted with Grimmjow. Somehow I had managed to stay upright even though I was completely caught off guard, but that victory was short lived. Torak, charging in while I was in a shocked state upon realizing I was gravely wounded, slammed me down into the sands that were stained with blood. Flamun had already begun to snap orders at the Hollows that that were still in the vicinity, telling them to bring the equipment he had hidden.

Torak, despite the spiritual pressure that I was leaking once I figured out what was happening, pinned me down by sitting on top of me. His knees were pressed onto my thighs, his hands keeping my hands down on the ground by my wrists. Whatever Agramon's weapon, it had to be poisoned. There was a strange form of weakness that I was feeling coursing through my veins, the pressure that Torak was putting on my limbs not helping the sense of powerlessness that I hated abide at all.

"Sorry about this, Subject 23," Flamun said, standing over my head and looking into my hollow gaze, "But you're an unknown. I'd kill you, but I think it would be funner if I left you to rot in this castle that you hate. Don't take this personally, but people that take away my master and try to take his place aren't my favorite type of people."

The only reason that I was able to keep a straight face was because I couldn't feel it. My body was seemingly detached from the commands my mind was sending it. It was like I was watching this from third person, my body under the massive Vasto Lorde while being bared down by a practically carbon copy of Takeshi. Agramon began to approach from the side, his claws covered in my blood. The wound that was at the root of the entire situation was still bleeding, a strange dark purple substance laced through the crimson. I could only guess that this was the poison that Agramon had forced into my body, but I could hardly care for what it was. As of right now, I was at the mercy of three murderous and traitorous Vasto Lorde.

"Alright," Flamun said, motioning towards the Hollows as they approached with strange pieces, "Start with the Hollow seals first, then the Soul Reaper ones."

"This is going to be fun, little girl," Torak chuckled evilly into my expressionless face, a sadistic tone in his voice.

* * *

The Adjuches kept on appearing as soon as one of their comrades fell. Takeshi fired Cero after Cero, Ichigo having fired Getsuga's repeatedly into the waves of middle class Hollow. Rukia was hard at work firing off every single dance that she had, Daiki appearing from whatever limited shadows there were with his bade only to disappear again, and Nel slashing away with a sort of disgusted look in her eyes. They were all unscathed, hardly breaking a sweat since the shear numbers of the Adjuches made it extremely hard to miss a target. Even if a Cero or Hado missed, there would always be an Adjuches that was in the right place and the right time to be obliterated by the attack.

"There's no end to them!" Ichigo grumbled loud enough for the group to hear, firing off another black Getsuga.

"Tell me something I don't know, carrot-top!" Takeshi shot back, firing a Cero and slashing away with his released form's ax version.

Rukia appeared from a Flash Step and looked to her husband, "Ichigo, I think we thinned them out enough to split up!"

"What're you saying?" Ichigo said, cutting down an Adjuches as it left it's mask open in preparation for an over head strike.

"That two of us go ahead while the other three go to save Misami," Rukia said, appearing beside the Captain of Squad Five to fend off a slash the he didn't seem to notice.

"Which two?" Ichigo asked, looking out of the corner of his eye at the petite Soul Reaper Lieutenant.

"You and Takeshi," Rukia said without hesitation, "You two are the strongest we have."

The Adjuches had been harassing them for the better part of ten minutes now, and they were starting to run out of time. They could sense Misami's spiritual pressure grow weaker in the distance, smothered and laced with pain. Rukia had fought even more powerfully after that feeling had set in, the haste that she was exhibiting making her fire off Hado and Shikai ability without restraint. She hadn't shown any sign of tiring, but the others could guess that it wouldn't be long before she did. Daiki was the same way, using his speed to travel quickly among the throngs of Adjuches and assassinating them as he went along. The limited shadows to blend in with made his usual sneak attack hard to set up, so he had resorted to killing sprees in a flurry of fast lethal strikes that weaved through the defenses of the Adjuches.

"Fine," Ichigo nodded, "But don't you dare get hurt while I'm away, okay Rukia?"

Rukia smiled, shaking her head, "I promise. Now go, before it's too late."

"You got it!" Ichigo broke his usual scowl to smile at his Lieutenant, then turned to the Arrancar near him, "C'mon, Takeshi, we have to hurry!"

"You didn't even have to say a word, carrot-top," Takeshi said vanishing in a burst of Sonido as he raced towards the palace of Las Noches at top speed.

As the two powerful Soul Reapers raced towards the palace of Hueco Muendo, Daiki paused and stared after them. Despite the fact that he was in the middle of a fight, a Hollow's clawed hand about to strike home on his abdomen. Nel and Rukia watched as he instinctively dodged the blow, but only reappeared from the encounter in the same position. The Adjuches, on the other hand, was on the ground and disintegrating into ash from a fatal blow to the mask. The two remaining Soul Reapers sensed a feeling of worry in the dark Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure, something that was very rare given the fact that there wasn't much of anything to sense in the spiritual pressure of the Lieutenant of Squad Two.

They seemed to sympathize, shooting looks of pity to the man's back as they felt the same worry for their friend. They knew that Misami was the first real friend that Daiki had in his entire life, that she was the first one that he ever opened up to at all. The fight that the three of them were in at the moment was nothing compared to the fear that they were feeling for their friend. The Adjuches class were a frightening foe, with Nel and Rukia struggling to keep up with the attacks and forceful beams that the Hollows hurled at them. But Daiki, by comparison, seemed to be quite comfortable in the battlefield full of powerful foes.

What the two women didn't know was that Daiki was used to fighting swarms of enemies that were at his level of strength since he was born. The people that had been his masters, the powerful warlords of the Rukkon's underground, had trained him and his twelve other child assassins to be the utmost of all warriors, with spirits so broken that they were no more than objects. Fighting gangs of men with swords and clubs wasn't too much of a challenge even unarmed for the thirteen of them, which was why they were so feared that they were left to be a myth. So much so, that only those that should fear the thirteen of them would know that they were real, while the rest of the population was left to tell tales of them to frighten children around a camp fire. But that was all in the past, no longer hanging over him thanks to Misami listening to him tell her about it.

They continued to fight for what seemed like hours, even though it was probably ten minutes or so. The Ceros, claws, whip-like arms, and maws of the Adjuches class Hollows that were attacking made it dangerous to stay in one place for more than a few seconds. Rukia and Nel were working together to fend off wave after wave of them, since they were cornered while Daiki was singled out. Rukia fired a Sokatsui, then a pillar of ice appeared as she danced with the elegant blade in her hand. Nel, neglecting to release her sword into her centaur-like released form, slashed through the enemies with an expressionless face and a hint of disgust still glinting in her eyes.

Blood and bodies littered the sands of Hueco Muendo as the three of them fought into exhaustion.

"Misami..." Rukia said, almost to herself, "Just hold on a little while longer..."

* * *

They put so many seals on me that I doubted my own ability to maintain a proper heart beat.

They had kicked my limp body while I was bound with Hollow and Soul Reaper seals. Whipped and slashed in an endless torrent of pain. Flamun, Torak, and Agramon laughed and chuckled as they heard my groans of pain. They laughed as I began to cry, my heart nearly giving out as this was all too familiar with what had happened before with Aizen. Sobs were wreaking havoc on my body, far more then their torture methods could ever touch me. The seals that bound my powers made me too weak to even to break free of the weak bonds that held my feet together at the ankles and my hand behind my back.

The clothes that I had been wearing, ones that had made me look as though I were supposed to be an Arrancar myself, were nothing but tatters on the sands of the dome we were in. All that was protecting me from their prying eyes was the black bandage like bindings wrapped around my breasts and my black spandex that acted as panties. Other then those, which luckily had escaped the damage the reast of my clothes had taken, I was completely exposed. My three massive midriff scars from the time I was captured here, the bruises and cuts that were as a result of my recent beating, all of my imperfections and wounds were in full view of the Hollow army. They saw me as nothing but a weak Soul Reaper now, one that they couldn't even eat, and were laughing as hit after hit was landed on my frail frame.

I couldn't speak, since they had tied a tight loop of cloth from my out fit into my mouth. I was still crying even though I had nothing left in me to even think clearly. My breathing was erratic and shallow, my head spinning with pain, abstract thoughts of some negative emotion, and fear. I began to see things, or may be Gin, Kaname, and Aizen had come back to restart their experiments on me. Laughs of the Hollows that had tormented me in the past soon over lapped those of the ones that were torturing me now. The sadistic laughter that I hated, the kind that used to make me so angry that I would instantly snap and wake up to destruction, not made my eyes water and my heart contract out of fear.

"This is all that's left of the mighty Subject 23?" Flamun asked, halting his laughter in the incredulous statement.

With no way to speak anyway, I remained silent as I cried with my eyes closed.

"One sneak attack and you cry like a little baby, huh?" The Vasto Lorde continued, the shook his head, "So distasteful."

A massive kick to my side sent my small body flying into a red pillar that had yet to be shattered. That changed soon enough and I fell to the ground amidst the rubble and sands, blood running down my temple and cheek from a gash on my head. My eyes were shut tight to keep the dust from getting into my eyes, as well as a vain attempt to stop my tears. I felt my arms start to fall asleep, and I could feel the pressure of a bigger piece of rubble sitting on top of my leg and pinning it there. Even if I could move it and try to fight back, I doubted that I would have a snowball's chance in Hell at getting even a hit on the three of them before they brought me back down to the ground again with a single strike.

They picked up my frame, though roughly, and started to carry me. I kept my eyes shut, sniffling and trying to control my breathing. If I opened my eyes, I feared that I was going to start to see all the horrors that I had tried to forget. The pain, the fear, and anger at myself was almost too much to bear at this point. All I wanted to do was go home, home to Brother, Rukia, Ichigo, Daiki, Nel, and Takeshi. Home to safety.

But I knew, as I felt us enter back into the hallways of the palace with a tidal wave of insults from the three Vasto Lorde, that I couldn't ever go back to that beautiful place in the Soul Society. I wouldn't be able to fell the small breeze that would blow my white hair lightly in it, or see the warm smile that Rukia only gave Ichigo and me. Also, I wouldn't be able to see the scowling face of my Captain, whose orange hair made him as noticeable as could be, when he gave me a similar look.

I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head, trying to stop from letting my thoughts go down that dark road. But when I opened my eyes, they were met with utter darkness. They'd blindfolded me. I was no longer scared of opening my eyes, but of never being able to see again. I frantically tried to use my senses to get a feel for the room that the three Vasto Lorde, but the seals destroyed any semblance of balance I had. I couldn't focus enough to be able to use my abilities.

The darkness was unyielding, and I felt choked by it. The cold ground was the only thing that I could feel, and the gritty stone made abrasions on my skin with every movement I made. The material that was wrapped around my lower face was hurting the corners of my mouth, saliva soaking into the cloth as I breathed through my mouth. My chest felt pressured, my weight pressing down on my rib cage. The absence of my clothes, with just my shredded underwear protecting me, wasn't making me feel any better. The cold draft of the room I was in made me shiver, my body trembling pathetically.

I squirmed forwards, trying to find at least a wall to sit up against with my bound legs and arms. When I found one, it was a set of thin bars. Blinking behind the blindfold, I tried not to panic as I rolled to the right to try and find another wall. When it was also a set of bars, I realized what it had to be. They'd put me in a cage.

My breath left me, and seemed to fail to return. I gasped for air as a full on PTSD attack slammed into my brain. No. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Never again. Why did they have to be so cruel? How could they know that this was my weakness? Why would they be able to put me through this again? Why did I have to go through it all over again?

These questions swirled in my mind, or what was left of it. There was no conscience thought anymore, just the fears and horrors that I was feeling. There was nothing, yet the space was filled with the faces and presences of and unending nightmare of monsters. Beady eyes that seemed to glare into my very soul, evil glares that felt as though they were piercing my flesh. The claws of shadow among the black slashed at the air before me, as though to taunt me. I blinked behind the veil of the blindfold, trying to shake of these hallucinations. But were they just things that I was making up because of my spiral into madness? I couldn't tell anymore what was real and what was reality, the pain and horror mixing with the void. Voices called out, echoing eerily through the air and in my skull as they taunted me. Tormenting me for what seemed like a year for every second.

_"Kill her!"_

_"Destroy her."_

_"You don't belong here, you don't belong anywhere."_

_"Everyone hates you now, girl, there's nothing left for you in the entire universe now."_

_"Worthless."_

_"Pathetic."_

_"How the mighty have fallen.."_

These whispers began to block out every other thought I could even hope of having. The evil snarl that accented some, the woeful hopelessness of others, and the cruel aura of all of them combined made it impossible to think about anything but the voices.

_Stop it. I want to go home. I want to get away from here! I'm not worthless, I'm not weak. Shut up! Go away! I'll kill you! I'll slaughter you if you don't shut up! Why? Did I do something wrong, Rukia? Brother, was what I did not enough? Why? Why am I so pathetic? I want to go home. Shut up, all of you! I'll kill you. I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU_!

Time stretched on for an eternity as the voices continued to swarm.

* * *

"I'll kill you...I swear I will...Go away...Leave me alone..."

Flamun was grateful for the information that Aizen had left about Subject 23. The things that he had done to try and get a rise out of the thing's inner Hollow had created somethings that would send her into a full panic attack. But he hadn't expected that the strong and silent, extremely intimidating Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid to have a mental break down. He could barely make out the words that she was muttering into the cloth he'd tied over her mouth. Agramon and Torak had left to prep the army for invasion, which they agreed was to be now since no one would be expecting it. There was also the fact that even he didn't know how long the hundreds of seals that he had placed on the girl would last before he broke through them.

Flamun had returned to the sealing-cage that he had put Subject 23 in, to make sure if he had needed to add any more on top of the ones he'd already placed. He had put more on the small frame anyway, his paranoia dictating that it was better to do that then leave her an opening that he didn't see. Finding her in this state, however, was almost sad. How different she was when she showed her true colors. He found it almost hilarious that under all of that power and skill, determination and ability, there was just a scared, traumatized and helpless little girl that had lost her mind before it could even be found.

If he weren't so paranoid, he wouldn't have betrayed the girl that had faithfully destroyed here home district, her relationships with her family, and her oaths that she had taken before she came to him. If there was some way to search through her thoughts and see if she was genuine in her endeavor to destroy the Soul Society, like graphing her soul's true intent, then he would have gladly allowed her to be a general of his armies. The fighting power to be able to defeat an Espada without a Bankai was impressive, even considering the fact that Grimmjow was simply caught off guard by whatever attack Subject 23 had used in the fog. With her on his side in the invasion, there was no doubt in his mind that she would be able to take on half the Seireitei before falling. And that was an estimation made without the knowledge of her Bankai, if she even had attained such a level of mastery. Her grasp of the four Soul Reaper disciplines was enough to put the girl in par with some of the Captains of the Thirteen Court guard Squads. But all of that didn't matter now that he had seen the girl's true colors. Her true weaknesses.

Flamun turned away from the sealing cage he'd thrown her frail frame into, slamming the door to the sealing-room. That room had the power to close off even the Head Captain's Shikai for an entire day, while the cage could do so for half a day and the seals on her body for two whole days. Torak and Agramon both had to be present, outputting their powers along with Flamun to counteract the Hollow part of the seals alone, in order to place Subject 23 in the cage and room.

"Make preparations for the Gargantas," Flamun instructed an entourage of Adjuches as they neared the area where the army was gathering, "We will send the Menos and lower class first to scout the area and damage their defenses. Start from the outer-most districts, then close in. My comrades and I will be the distraction and attack the Seireitei directly."

"Yes, my lord," The group of middle-class Hollows said.

They all moved towards their assigned groups of Hollows, each strong enough to destroy entire districts of the Rukkon. Flamun moved to the hall that was designed for the Espada, but was now the meeting place for the elite of the army he commanded with an iron fist. The powers that he and his fellow Vasto Lorde wielded was unparalleled in the universe of Hueco Muendo. There was nothing that could stand in the way of their will, and the sands of the Hollow world were their play ground. The Adjuches that were currently keeping the Seireitei's attack force of five busy wasn't even a part of the army, but a group of Hollows that had been forced into service as punishment for defying the army.

"Are the preparations made, Lord Flamun?" One of the Vasto Lorde said from across the room, the air going silent as the name was stated.

"Yes, the Menos squadrons should be attacking momentarily," Flamun said, "But first, we must attack the Seireitei before them. We don't want out forces to falter before they reach the center."

"Then what's the plan?" Another asked.

"The walls of the Seireitei will descend as soon as they realize what is happening," Flamun said, "And their force field is always on. We will have to create an opening with a mass Cero attack from all thirteen of us at full strength to ensure that we create a hole. After that, we will all attack and spread out as soon as we are past the field. The walls of the Seireitei will be their grave."

"Understood," A third Vasto Lorde said, nodding his head, "And what of the Captains and the two Arrancars?"

"The Arrancars are already here, and are being dealt with," Flamun said, nodding as he looked at the twelve Vasto Lorde, "The Captains will be dealt with in the way that they wish to fight: One on one. That is, unless we happen to miss...and strike them when they are open."

"Sounds like a plan," Torak said, his power flaring, "So when do we attack?"

"Right now," Flamun chuckled, tearing open a Garganta and motioning toward it.

* * *

"How much farther?" Ichigo said, sounding at least slightly affected by the prolonged use of Flash Step in the Reishi thick air of Hueco Muendo.

"Oh please, Carrot-top," Takeshi grumbled, pushing for a faster speed with his Sonido, "That had to be the third time you've asked me since we started."

"Because we're running out of time!" The orange haired Captain growled.

"...Can't disagree with you there..." Takeshi said, looking forwards with a squinting gaze, "I can't even sense her spiritual pressure anymore."

"You're right," Ichigo said, catching up, "It's gotten weaker..."

The black night of the Hollow world was the back drop for the absolutely massive palace. The bodies of the fallen Hollows marked their path, Ichigo's kills being far over shadowed by the Arrancar. Takeshi had been quiet the entire trip so far since the splintering of the group, going as fast as he could towards the palace of Las Noches. The only reason that Ichigo had kept pace with him was that Takeshi had been slowed down by a few groups of Hollows that had gotten in the way. Other then those instances, the Arrancar hadn't stopped at all.

Ichigo understood why Takeshi was so determined to save Misami. He could see the worry in the eyes of someone that usually looked at the world through an entirely different lens than everyone else. He saw that world in strengths and witnesses, power and weakness, and there was almost nothing that really could phase him. That is until Misami made him see the world in a whole different light. She gave him something to protect, some thing that he could love and get love back while still not having to worry too much about it's safety.

Misami was a Soul Reaper that surpassed everyone's expectations. She mastered almost every aspect of the four Soul Reaper Disciplines. Not to mention that she was trained in each art by a Captain that was an expert in it. The power that she unwittingly wielded, something that was inadvertently caused by her inner Hollow, made her a formidable opponent. She learned how to harness her strength to cover for her weaknesses, and she soon became one of the strongest in the Seireitei. Even without a Bankai she was able to hold her own against the Captains of the Thirteen Guard Squads.

Because of all of this, Takeshi never had to really worry about her safety. She could handle herself, and she had proven that before they could even begin a friendship. But with the recent events that had happened to her, that was all being called into question. She was discovered to be part Hollow in the worst of ways. The Hollow that was inside her broke free in the intermediary time between when Misami had taken her seals off and when she was gaining back her power. During that time that Misami had lost control, the entire Seireitei had seen some of the worst of the girl that they had cherished. Then with the exile, the Limiter Gigai that was set to turn her into a human without her knowledge, and the weeks that she spent all alone on the streets of Karakura Town had a massive affect on her. Her confidence had taken a massive blow, and her strength was considerably less than before without that confidence. That was why Takeshi was worried about Misami, since so many beings now had the strength to do her harm while he wasn't near her.

Suddenly, Takeshi stopped.

Ichigo blazed by him, trying to stop only to tumble in the sands comically, "What the heck, Takeshi!?"

The Arrancar only stared first in awe, then in anger, "Look."

Ichigo then complied, his eyes widening as they gaze upon what the Arrancar was talking about.

There before them was a massive army that surrounded the palace of Las Noches completely. Blackening the white sands to match the sky, the millions of Hollows commanded the space around them. Menos Grande towered over the multitudes, piercing the sky with their black bodies. If the Menos were mountains, then the Adjuches were the hills, since they were all bigger and taller then the average Hollow. The shrieking and roaring of all the masked lost souls filled the stale air, resonating in Ichigo's skull despite the colossal distance between them. But there was one thing that made it completely unbearable to see. Something that meant catastrophe for all those allied with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

The opening of thousands of Garganta into the blue skies and green grasslands of the Soul Society.


	24. Shattered Soul

**Author's Note: You guys have no idea how sorry I am for such a long lull in between chapters. I've been working on it, but it's been so difficult with college searches and scholarship applications being due. This kept on getting pushed back over and over again because of the things that I listed. I'll have you know that after the end of this week, I should have a good amount of free time to work on this. Since it's about to be the end of the arc before I begin with the next one, which I'm deciding on whether or not to have a filler arc going until the manga finishes, I'll be pouring my heart and soul into it to make it an extra long chapter with plenty of amazing fights and destruction! XD**

**Thank you, lizy2000, for reviewing! Yeah, that about sums it up doesn't it? An entire Hollow army against the unknowing Soul Society...fun for them!**

**Thank you, Krispy, for reviewing! Wow, so many things I need to address...Well, let's see: Well, the first thing you mentioned happens in this chapter, so there's that. Second: I'd say that his Zanpakuto, if my memory serves me right, did all it could to disguise its true Bankai from him. That said, without prvocation (I.e. his Bankai being destroyed and his forging a new one in a place he wouldn't be unless the Soul Society was destroyed with another attack on the way), it wouldn't reveal that he was part Quincy. Third: I totally agree, I didn't like them either. I was thinking, as a side thing, of writing a couple chapters where that arc happened, but with Misami there to stop it. But that wouldn't be very eventful, since Misami would probably kick all of their butts before their plan went into motion haha. Fourth: I'd say that it would take a little more than time for Rukia to get her Bankai, so I'll save that for the Thousand Year Blood War arc of this fanfic. Fifth: Way ahead of you there, pal, so just sit tight haha. Sixth: Who knows? I mean, he's one of those OP people that no one really challenges because of their strength, so I don't see them doing much with the whole war situation with the Hollows haha. Hope that answered all of it and I hope that you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, plot, ideas, and my many OCs.**

I was surrounded in hopelessness for what seemed like an eternity, waiting in the darkness that belonged to utter despair.

The Hollows that did this to me were long gone, having left me to my fate at the hands of my own delusion and terror. I was trembling, shivering from fear and from the biting cold that reflected my own soul. I was nothing now, I was back to where I started all that time ago before my escape. I was nothing more then a sad little girl with nothing to call her own except a broken mind and body. It had been weeks since I had been called by the one thing that I still owned, the name being replaced by what I was called under the sinister watch of Aizen. The power that I had commanded was gone, the wounds that marred my delicate body emitting pain unlike anything I have ever felt in a long time.

But that pain was familiar, so similar to what I had gone through before that I felt almost at home. Tears fell down my cheeks, the salt stinging a cut from a forceful kick to the cheekbone that tore apart my skin. I licked my dry lips, the cloth having fallen away during my writhing. The black void was keeping me from moving now, the despair that was creeping into my mind, invading my thoughts. I was worthless, pathetic, weak, powerless, and everything else that the Hollows said that I was. I could hear their voices, both from far away and close as if they were every where at once. My skull pounded, my heart ached, and my soul grew tired.

There was a pair of voices that was among the Hollows', sounding like they were pleading for me to do something. But I couldn't hope to hear them over the howls and roars of insults and cynical words from the beady eyes that stared at me from every angle.

What was there left to do now? Was everything that I ever did all in vain? Was I fated to return to this palace, exactly as I had left it a thousand years ago when I was only a child? Did Aizen know how this would all turn out, and left these phobias untouched as a weakness for this purpose? The voices were laughing now, making all of my faults known as they shouted in hysteria. It was all I could do not to scream.

"_I'll kill you...Shut up...All of you know nothing...Shut up, shut up, shut up! I'll butcher all of you!_"

"What do we not know?"

"What could you possibly do when you're so weak?"

"Pathetic."

"Worthless!"

"If only you weren't so disappointing..."

They continued to speak, laughing at my responses. I said them more for myself then anything, to keep my sanity above all else. If I didn't resist, even in this small and almost pointless way, then I was going to lose my mind to the massive void of despair that was covering me. I would become nothing more then an animal with the ability to wield powers and weapons that I was not worthy of. Takeshi, Ichigo, Rukia and everyone else would find me and look away in disgust. They would hate me.

"That's right, Twenty-Three, they would hate you."

"Look at you. You're nothing."

"How could they possibly want to be lumped in with something like you?"

"They might just kill you from their disappointment alone."

It never ended, their insults and lies weaving through my mind. They were truths, they had to be. Why else would they say those words over and over again? I was nothing, Rukia couldn't possibly love me now after what I'd done. It was all for her, all for my family that I cherished so much. But I could see now, despite the darkness around me, that I should have just stayed in the Human World and died of old age in a limiting Gigai that I was supposed to be wearing. Now, because of my stupidity, there was no hope for the Soul Society and no hope for me. I was alone, lost, and dying in a cage of horrors. I couldn't think of a more fitting way to end my worthless, wretched life...

"What the heck do you think you're doing?"

I blinked. The harsh, patronizing tone of my Zanpakuto sliced through the air like her sword. The beautiful white kimono and flowing snow white hair that went along with her irresistible blue eyes appeared from the veil of darkness. The cross look on her features, the way that her hands were on her hips, and the glare that she was giving me shook me to my core. Was it really her? Could she finally save me from this nightmare?

"**You can do better than that, Princess,**" The hollow version of my Zanpakuto said, fading into view from the shadows as if they were a part of her, "**I cant believe that you'd let weaklings like that break you so easily. Its...just sad, really.**"

"_We've been watching you this whole time and you've done nothing but get worse and worse_," Hikari said in a stern tone,_ "When did you become so weak?!_"

I flinch, tears beginning to well up in my eyes again, "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...Forgive me...Oh, please forgive me..."

"_C'mon, Misami, you're better than this..._" Ichigo's disappointment was as heavy as the seals on my body.

"_How could a Kuchiki, especially you, let something like this bring you down?_" Rukia's stern noble tone sliced through the stale air.

"_Misami's weak? I wouldn't believe it if it wasn't right in front of me..._" Nel's tone was almost on the verge of disbelief.

"_Misami...You need to toughen up if I'm still gonna hang around here. Because right now, I feel like barfing at how worthless you look..._" Takeshi sounded as if he were cringing.

"STOP," I screamed bloody murder, wailing into the void that surrounded me amidst the voices, "MAKE IT STOP!"

* * *

"This isn't good, Takeshi," Ichigo said as the two of them raced towards the palace of Las Noches as the Hollow army began to disappear from sight.

The Arrancar in question shook his head, "You don't say...And here I thought that it was my birthday gift."

Ichigo's scowl deepened at the wry sarcasm in the Arrancar, "Well, then, do you have a plan?"

"Find Misami, and save her," Takeshi said without any hesitation.

The air was thick with the stench of Hollows, the smell far more potent then anything that the Captain of Squad Five had ever sensed. The sheer amount of Hollows that had been gathered and sent to the Soul Society seemed to almost match the Seireitei in population, maybe even more. There was a frightening amount of spiritual pressure that matched that of an Adjuches class, as well as Menos Grande, heading for the maws of the Gargantas. The fact that the amount of lesser Hollows matched that amount was even more troubling. With the lesser Hollows alone, the Seireitei's forces would be spread thin trying to find a way to defeat them while preventing casualties. But with the addition of the Adjuches and Menos Grande, Ichigo had no idea what they would do in order to make that a possibility. He even felt the last traces of thirteen Vasto Lorde.

Takeshi on the other hand, felt no compulsion to feel those emotions. It was very obvious to him that the fact that he couldn't really feel Misami's spiritual pressure was because Flamun made the mistake of leaving her for last. With the knowledge of supposed absolute victory, Takeshi could see the appeal of having a double agent within his ranks seeing their precious home fall before they were killed for their crimes, but that was the mistake that his former pupil made. He had played with his food too long, and now it had the potential to bite back. Takeshi would save Misami, and as soon as he did that, she was going to destroy them all. He had that feeling ever since he felt her spiritual pressure in her last raid on the Seireitei. The total control over her abilities, as well as the fact that she held her own against enraged Captains without even her Shikai, gave the Arrancar the impression that Misami was hiding something from the rest of the world. Something that Flamun must have picked up on as well. Something that surely put the fear of death in the heart of the Vasto Lorde.

That was the very thing that was giving Takeshi the confidence to ignore the fears that the Captain next him was oozing.

"You're too late, impostor," Flamun said, Agramon and Torak appearing with him, "I've already called the attack. There's no hope for you now."

Takeshi didn't even stop for the former pupil, his fear for Misami's safety overriding his desire to behead the idiot for gloating before his supposed victory. He fired a Cero directly behind him, knowing that Flamun would order Agramon to stop his fleeing prey so he could stall him. The blast caught Agramon by surprise, forcing him to stumble to the side as the blood red beam erased the air and landscape around it. Takeshi couldn't care less about the lanky-limbed assassin Vasto Lorde, his senses focusing solely on the fading presence of Misami Tsukino Kuchiki.

"Get back here, impostor!" Flamun sounded agitated as Ichigo and Takeshi completely ignored both the Vasto Lorde's voice and the barrage of Ceros that they launched after them.

The last of the Hollow army was leaving, abandoning the palace of Las Noches as though they never planned on returning to it again. The foot prints and signs of their presence were the only things that they left behind as they entered into the Gargantas. Takeshi raced forwards, feeling the thoughts of the Captain behind him turn darker and darker with the prospect of the Soul Society coming under attack. He couldn't think about anything else other than Misami, like he was incapable of doing so. The thoughts of what she could be going through right now, knowing the thought process and intellect of Flamun, wasn't a good thing to dwell upon. Misami was strong, she had to be strong, or he would lose her forever. That was that.

He would try and make it easier for her by getting there quicker, but it was up to her to stay alive and stay herself until he could. With the three main Vasto Lorde not even giving chase since they knew that the two of them actually weren't going to fight them, they had almost no obstacles in their path. All that was left for them now was to use their relatively meek sensory abilities to find the dying light of the white haired girl they both cared about so much. Like finding a needle in a haystack factory at night with sunglasses on while being chased by monsters.

They didn't care about the odds, and just pushed forwards towards the entrance of the palace.

And once they reached what looked like the front entrance to the palace, then smashed it in with a simultaneous punch to the door.

"Misami! We're comin' for you!"

* * *

"Nice and peaceful, just how I like it," Shunsui Kyoraku breathed as he closed his eyes under his straw hat.

The temper of the Seireitei was at an all time high, rumors of riots in the streets of the Rukkon reaching every ear in the massive fortress. The Squads were on edge ever since the news that Misami Kuchiki was confirmed to have committed treason. Shunsui flat out denied the claim, the image of the dirty, almost pitiful child that was in the furthest corner of the lecture hall of the Soul Reaper Academy all those years ago still fresh in his mind.

Her overall demeanor of outright fear, like everything in the world was her enemy was something that he noticed right away, and made sure that Nanao had been extra kind to the girl the instant that she started to approach. Something told the Captain of Squad Eight that letting his stern Lieutenant speak as she usually did to everyone give her the impression that she was not welcome, she would have no hope of opening up to anyone. He could see it in the the girl's eyes, the hopeless isolation that came from being alone in a crowd with no one to trust.

But that had changed by the time he had seen her again after the surprising news of her adoption into the Kuchiki Clan despite her shady background as an orphan from the streets of the Rukkon districts. She looked like she had finally found somewhere to belong. Like she had the weight of the world lifted off of her shoulders now that she had a family that wasn't going to die on her like so many had before. The scars that she had brought from the Rukkon, the ones that Hanging Dog had left on her soul, finally seemed to be fading.

Then she was captured by the Vasto Lorde that had been trained by a certain Hollow ally of her's. The entire Seireitei, seeing Misami as a mascot due to her age, held its breath as a rescue party was quickly dispatched. But when she came back, ruined and scarred so badly that she didn't stir for an entire week despite the healing expertise of the Captain of Squad Four.

Misami was pale, frail, and heavily weighed down with seals and pain in a sick bed when the news of what she really was reached the Captains through the then Fifth Seat of Squad Five. Fear was the major thing that plagued the air when the rumors spread that Misami was part Hollow. Many didn't want to believe all the rumors that surrounded the white haired girl, since they wanted so hard to think that she was a beautiful and perfect noble girl that also happened to be an immensely skilled prodigy.

Those hopes were killed along with a good fourth of Squads Four, Seven, and Nine when Misami suddenly lost control of her newly awakened Hollow. The memories too much for her, in addition to the lack of restraint on the Hollow within her thanks to the removal of the seals prematurely, the Hollow part of her soul awakened. It made her do terrible things, fighting off warrior after warrior like they were nothing as she destroyed the Seireitei. It took Takeshi to keep her in check and knock her out. It was then that the hate towards Misami Kuchiki began to be validated. The exile of the white haired Third Seat of Squad Five was publicly hated, but secretly embraced. With the menace of the Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid gone and sealed away in the World of the Living, the Seireitei began to unwind. That is, until she returned.

Now, there was an open hate for the girl, the destruction of Hanging Dog hanging with the order for her head by Central 46.

"Honestly, Captain!" A stern voice sounded from above the relaxing Soul Reaper, "You choose to sneak off and sleep even at a time like this?"

"Oh c'mon, Nanao," Shunsui said in a disappointed tone, "You really need to lighten up..."

"How can you say that when we are about to go to _war_!"

Shunsui sighed and moved away his straw hat to look at his Lieutenant in the eyes with an eerily serious gaze that made Nanao blink, "I know that were about to have a massive, and really messed up, fight. I know that there is going to be Hell to pay when it's all said and done. Our Squad is ready, you're ready, and I am not. I don't know how I feel about this war that we're about to fight. I don't know what to think about fighting the girl that I helped into the Academy five hundred years ago, or what will happen to her when it's all over. So forgive me if all I wanted to do was relax and try and take my mind off of it."

"Captain..." Nanao said in a small, uncertain voice.

Shunsui shook off his serious expression and smirked, "Never thought I was going to see that expression on you're face, Nanao."

The stern look that always was on her face returned just as quickly, "Get up, Captain Kyoraku!"

"Alright alright!" The Captain nonchalantly waved a hand as he began to rise.

They walked through the streets of their Squads Barracks, making sure that they were all ready for when they would have to fight. They all had a sort of eerie hesitance about them, as if they weren't sure that they were ready themselves. Shunsui and Nanao knew that it was very likely that Misami Kuchiki would be with the assault force on the Seireitei, and that she would defeat many Soul Reapers before she could be stopped. They also had heard the news about the large amount of Vasto Lorde class Hollows that were in the service of the three main Vasto Lorde that were known to be responsible for this entire war. So it was only natural that they were weary, but it still made them less effective in a fight regardless. Shunsui was honestly worried that the same issue was befalling his colleagues' Squads as well.

A hell-butterfly fluttered before Shunsui with the usual delicate flight of its kind. The black wings brought it land on Shunsui's outstretched finger.

"Attention all Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" The message said, "We have just received word from the impromptu advance team in Hueco Muendo. The Hollow Army has entered their Gargantas and are heading for the Soul Society as if right now. Assemble your Squads and prepare for war effective immediately."

Just was Shunsui finished hearing the message, the skies ripped open and the spiritual pressure of the Vasto Lorde and Adjuches class Hollows reached his senses.

"Oh, boy...This isn't going to end well..." The Captain said with a sigh.

* * *

The enemies had all but left, the three Vasto Lorde that had been under Takeshi leaving soon after them. The nearly toxic, filth-laced air of Hueco Muendo filled Ichigo's lungs as he raced after Takeshi in search of Misami. The spiritual pressure of the white haired exile in question was nearly gone now, calling up the dreaded possibility that the girl had almost no time left in the world.

The Arrancar shook his head, pressing harder and harder forwards in his search for her. There was nothing that mattered more to him than the well-being of that Soul Reaper. The fact that that was true astonished everyone in the Soul Society, as they had come to look at the Arrancar as one that was addicted to fighting and nothing else. Now he was as dedicated to finding her as he had been too finding a fight.

"Misami! Misami!" Takeshi called, his frustration making his voice slightly hoarse.

"...Help..." He heard, making him stop in his tracks.

He looked right, then left, a fierce look of concentration on his features. He tuned his ears to the sounds of the palace, the sounds of Hollows and of the sands outside its massive walls. There was an enormous gust of wind, and a Hollow's call, but there wasn't anything that sounded like that small voice. Like a wafting breeze, the sound of the voice had vanished as quietly as it had appeared. Takeshi could have sworn that it was Misami, but at the same time knew that it couldn't possibly be her. The voice was too frail, too devoid of energy and life to be a Soul Reaper of her caliber. The fact that there wasn't another soul other than Ichigo within a mile radius of where he was made Takeshi hesitant to dismiss the thought.

Ichigo was in a different part of the palace, searching for the same white-haired Soul Reaper, so he probably wouldn't have heard it. Searching for hours, it seemed, since the Hollows had left for the Soul Society had fried Takeshi's nerves. He was over reacting to every little sight and sound for a sign of Misami. That small voice was probably a voice that his mind had made up due to his unhealthy high hopes. That's what was making more sense to Takeshi at the moment, since there was a migraine forming in his head from those jumbled thoughts to go with these voices.

"...Why...go...away..." The voice sounded again, haunting like a ghost's.

"Okay, I'm definitely not going crazy," Takeshi said, more to reassure himself than anything.

He moved towards the voice, trying hard to hear it again to find it's source. He weaved through rubble and caved in halls, shoving aside a corpse from the frame of a door. The room that he was lead to by the voice was massive, the roof blocking out the artificial light of the dome in the center of the palace. There were pillars that held up the enormous stone ceiling and walls, chunks of some of them having fallen to the ground around crates and boxes of supplies. The air was laced with the scent of Hollow. The darkness wasn't what was making Takeshi feel less than tolerant of the room, since there was this strange aura about the area.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, the voice grew in intensity and in its haunting tones, "Stop! Go away...I'll kill you...I swear I will! Scum...beast...monsters, why are there so many monsters?"

The feeling of sorrow, of pain, and of terror was so thick in this room that Takeshi could almost feel it in his own soul. The being that was in this room, or haunting it, had gone through some sort of Hell while they were in here. The voice bounced off the walls, echoing in the large room in such a way that it came from multiple directions. The darkness made it hard to see things in the room, though. Takeshi, judging from the feeling he had in his gut, half-expected to find the mutilated corpse of whatever tortured soul had been here. Another guess was some vestige of a blood sacrifice were the voice's body had been slaughtered. Takeshi found himself growing more and more unsettled by the presence in the room. He was beginning to feel the dread, the horror that the voice was expressing in its madness. What was making him feel as unsettled as he was though, was the way the voice sounded. Childish, small, and frail would be how he would put it, as if a young girl had lost all will to resist and was in a state of weakness. But those three words meant something else to him, something that made his eyes widen at the realization.

_"Takeshi, why're so strong?"_

_"What kind of a question is that, shorty?"_

_"Hey! I'm serious. You're strong, powerful, and...tall, I guess."_

_"Thanks for the compliment, I suppose."_

_"What about me?"_

_"What the heck do you mean by that?"_

_"How would you describe me?"_

_"..."_

_"C'mon, Takeshi!"_

_"Childish, small...and frail."_

_"...I can't help that they forced me to stay in this bed until I felt better, Takeshi...That was mean..."_

_"My bad...Sorry, Misami."_

The first real conversation that Takeshi had with the white haired Kuchiki, when they were waiting for his trial after she brought him back to the Soul Society. Those three words were the way that he thought of Misami, the way that her voice was pitifully meek and small despite her strong powers in every aspect. How that voice reflected her small frame and deceptively frail-looking body was struck him as ironic, what made the sight of her a joke that he only shared with himself. How it all came together to form this paradoxical Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid that looked as though she had no strength of force of will, yet was the image of a warrior that could level entire Rukkon districts.

That voice, that ghost's haunting voice, belonged to Misami.

Takeshi raised his hand into the air, aiming it at the ceiling directly over the supposed source of the ghostly whispers. The sudden movements startled Misami, as she began to whisper threats and menacing words in an increasingly frail and small voice. The blood red energy of his Cero, the pure killing intent that was corralled into the erasing beam, enveloped the room. This elicited even more frightened whispers of Misami's ghost...even more horrific sounds that would have made any human's skin crawl. The blood red beam fired into the ceiling, the stone shattering and cascading down in the light of the fake skies.

"No...Stay away! I didn't...do anything wrong! Don't hurt me...please..."

A girl trembled in the shaft of light, her body scurrying away from him as far as the cage would allow. The menacing bars of that cage were made of Hollow sealing material, something that made her fall on her back at the mere touch of it. There was tattered strings of clothing, the remnant of what she used to clad her body in. All that was left to cover her small, pitiful frame was her underwear. The bra and panties were accompanied by some tattered remains of the short and bottoms, but they still barely covered her nether-regions from view. But that skin, which would have made Takeshi blush furiously at the sight of so much of it, was covered in wounds, scars, bruises and blood both dried and fresh. The infection of an open wound had set in discoloring that skin around it, along with the seemingly endless speckling of the bruises. The pool of blood that came from the lacerations and cuts criss-crossing her body made it obvious why her skin was so pale.

Her whispering moved like a despairing mist out of split lips and a hoarse throat. The sounds of hopelessness, of fear, of pleading for one's live, all coming from those lips. Her beautiful blue eyes were dilated, bags under them as they stared through disheveled locks of white hair matted with blood. Strands of white hair pointed this way and that, looking as though she hadn't brushed or washed it in weeks. Her swords were in the cage with her, the beautiful scabbards that she maintained shattered in half and lying next to the corresponding fractured blades in a mess of splintered metal and wood.

Seal after seal was placed on her arms and legs, the chest area having been left alone for the soul purpose of whipping her. The wounds gave away that fact, the parabolic shape of the cuts could only be repeatedly made with the whip-like appendages of the Hollow army interrogators. There were parts of her body that had been kicked and struck so hard that the skin had split. Her neck seemed to have sustained damage as well, rashes and irritation on the skin where she was more than likely held by her neck and choked by Hollow claws. Her arms had parts of their bone pushing out against her pale skin, every time she moved the sound of their shifting inside her could be discerned among her whisperings.

The injuries that she sustained from her skirmish with the two Captains in the Twelfth Squad's area had reopened, the bandages ripped and torn as they hung off of her hips like chains. Her chest shuddered up and fell in time with her ragged and hitched breathing. She moaned in pain and terror in between the threats and the pleading for her life. Her body was trembling, shivering against the cold ground like some forgotten animal. Her eyes were hollow, unblinking as they saw nothing. The light was gone out of those beautiful irises as if she were dead. Her expression was one fixed in a state of panic and horror, a mask that resembled the expression upon seeing one's own worst nightmare.

"...Misami..." Takeshi said, the utter appalling sight of his only friend sending him in a state of shock for a brief instant, "...Who...Who did this to you?"

"Go away! Don't hurt me! I didn't do anything, Lord Aizen! I swear I will do better next time, just don't hurt me again!" The girl suddenly exploded at the sound of the Arrancar's voice.

Takeshi flinched away from her tone, the pure weakness that was using Misami's voice. This wasn't his friend. His friend wouldn't beg for her life, wouldn't dare call Aizen anything other than "Monster". She wouldn't be afraid of anything that she didn't know about, wouldn't be crying like she'd watched her friends die before her eyes.

At that moment, something snapped within Takeshi. All of his feelings and doubts, worries and thoughts vanished. He felt like he was floating in a vacuum. The absolute nothingness in his mind. The calm before the storm.

Then he returned to his body, his mind snapping out of its shock and into what he righteously should be feeling. The hate enveloped him, coursed through is veins with the adrenaline. White hot rage burned in his gut, searing through any rational thoughts that remained in his mind. There was no real thought process going through his brain, no strategy, no thinking ahead. There was one thought that took place among the jumbled anger and worry and empathetic pain. The thought that no matter what he had to do, no matter what he lost in the process, he needed to get Misami out of those restraints, seals, and the cage. He needed to save his only friend.

He tore through the space that separated them, ripping through the air with a Sonido more powerful than anything that he had unleashed before. The cage was a seal against Hollows, Takeshi could tell by the burning sensation at the mere touch of the bone-like bars. Misami screamed, jolting away in a pitiful attempt to get away with her body weighed down by the seals. Takeshi roared with effort as he gripped the bars so tightly that they cracked, and ripped outwards. The bars shattered and fell away from his presence, the pain of resisting the sealing attribute searing into his flesh. He grit his teeth, his anger and resolve to save Misami making the pain seem as though it were a pinch. The light from the fake sky showed the shuddering form of the broken Kuchiki he was trying to save. Tears cascading down her scuffed and dirty cheeks, her hands crossed over her chest as if she was trying to protect herself from harm. She was staring blankly at him with eyes that had lost their light. Her mouth was stretched into a grimace, her split lip leaking more blood as it reopened.

"You're j-just trying to...to get in my-my head...I didn't do anything wrong! Go away, Hollow! Leave me alone! I just want to leave...p-please!" Misami said, her voice soft from lack of energy and so full of a pleading tone that it made Takeshi's heart ache.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Takeshi said, holding out his hand in a gentle manner towards the broken girl as she nurtured her broken arm while hugging herself in the process, "I'm here to save you."

"Liar! Idiot! I won't fall for that!" Misami screamed, a terrified expression replacing her pained features' previous grimace for an instant, "I learned my lesson! I won't be tricked by that again, Lord Aizen!"

Takeshi blinked. _Won't be tricked by that again? _He repeated in his mind.

Takeshi couldn't believe his ears. She'd been tricked into escaping? Did she fail so many times in the past that she lost hope in trying to flee from her nightmares? No, that wasn't it. The type of man Aizen was wouldn't allow for an untrained soul less than the physical age of six or five, the age that Misami had told him she was at the time, escape without a helping hand. Aizen, of course, made sure that there was no one that knew about Las Noches, so there was no potential for that sort of person to exist. Takeshi's eyes widened at the realization. He'd gotten Misami to "escape" more than once in the past with the help of a Hollow accomplice, only to have that accomplice betray her and cause more punishment.

Aizen was truly a cruel monster, Takeshi concluded.

"Don't worry, Misami, I'm not like the others," Takeshi said, trying his hardest to sound comforting and sincere, "I'm going to take those seals off of your body, okay? Everything's going to be okay..."

Takeshi's anger was still burning at full force, making the act he was trying to put on even harder than it normally would be. He wanted so bad to just rip the seals off, rip Misami out of the cage, and force her to wake up from one of her crazed states. But he knew from experince that when Misami lost her mind to her past and her demons, the only real way of getting her back was to coax her into reality. Rukia was able to do it with a certain tone in her voice that only she seemed to have. Maybe it was the fact that they were sisters and they just knew the other like no one else did. Ichigo, Daiki, and Takeshi all hadn't had to deal with this broken version of Misami, only the after effects of dizzy spells and weakness in generally all aspects.

"Monster! Stay away from me!" Misami pleaded, her blank eyes wide and wet with tears.

There was a blood trail from where he found her to where she was now, the crimson liquid looking like it was a sort of coarse paint on the plain floor of the room. Takeshi's eyes only saw what was in the cage at that moment, taking it all in so that he could unless his fury on the battlefield that he would soon join. After he saved his friend from her own personal Hell. The shattered remains of the cage were scattered across the floor near them, the structure having been blow away after the critical failure of the two bars overloading the sealing component. Misami lay there, not entirely human with the state that she was in. She had no real thought process, only instinct. Right now, the only real thing that separated her from a caged and wounded animal was the mere fact that she could speak. And even that speech was soft and delicate, so filled with dread and pleading that it would have made Takeshi's head hurt had he been human. No, his head did hurt. He had pains all over his body from this sight, his sort of personal nightmare. To see his one and only friend, who was like a sister to him, be left in the dark in this state with every single fear that she had in the world before her and tormenting her.

Takeshi's fist clenched, his jaw tightening so much that his teeth might soon crack. He took a step forwards, then another, towards the trembling girl. She whimpered, like a starving dog that had its food taken away, and squirmed away as best she could with her wounds. The path that she took was traced in her blood, the sounds of the rough ground resisting her movement and carving into her skin. Another step, this time longer then the last ones, put him within reach of the girl whom barely even had her crotch and breasts covered by tattered bandage wraps and remnants of her Espada-like clothing. The "23" tattooed on her left upper arm was the only place that had been left unmarred by the Hollow's torture.

Takeshi's arm shot forwards, streaking towards the trembling Kuchiki. The frightened girl screamed, scurrying away as fast as she could with the limitations that were placed on her. The slight, almost unnoticeable, sharp intake of breath from her scrapping her skin as she did so put Takeshi over the edge. She shouldn't be on the rough ground with almost no clothing at all, Takeshi thought, she doesn't deserve any of this. Takeshi's hand gripped the wrist of the Soul Reaper, forcing her to stop and jerk around to try and get free. It was futile, since she had the strength of the child she was, while Takeshi could easily shatter a mountain if he so much as sneezed without holding back. She thrashed, screaming and begging all the while. She bit his hand, like a cornered animal, but that was also pointless due to the armor like skin on the offending limb. Takeshi was infuriated that the fools that he had trained would do this to his treasured Misami. That they would destroy her body and cripple it so that she couldn't fight back against even a normal Hollow and also destroy her prized Zanpakuto. They destroyed and corroded her mind with all the horrors that she had experienced as a child soul, leaving nothing left then the instincts that she had formed during that horrible period. The ones that made her become lower than the dirt and beg for her life like she had nothing else besides that to hold on to.

Come to think of it, Takeshi thought as he grit his teeth, that _was_ all they left her...

He ripped away the seals, one after the other as quickly and painlessly as he could. The anti-Hollow seals siphoned some of his strength, but that did nothing to stop his advance. The material of Soul Reaper and Hollow seals littered the floor, even joined by a few Quincy seals. It made Takeshi shake his head at the thought of Flamun being so overly paranoid that he would put seals on Misami in the off chance she was hiding another secret. That, however, was only a moments pause before he went right back to ripping away the remaining seals from Misami's frail frame.

"Just bare with me, Misami," Takeshi said, trying to sound soothing, "It's almost over. I promise, once I get you outta here, I'll kill every single one of them..."

"No..." Misami said, every sound filled with despair, "Please...Just leave me alone..."

"Just this one time, Misami," Takeshi, sighing as he took the last seal from her body, "I'll not going to listen to you."

* * *

The Thirteen Court Guard Squads were under attack from all sides.

The Vasto Lorde and Adjuches class Hollows had appeared over Sokyoku Hill, descending upon the Seireitei like a fog. The Captains of the Soul Reapers All took upon themselves a Vasto Lorde, with the absence of Ichigo Kurosaki and his followers. The Lieutenants fought as one to defeat the overwhelming population of Menos Grande and Adjuches class Hollows. The grand buildings of the Seireitei were in ruins, the rubble littering the streets where the Soul Reapers fought the war for their home world. Bodies, both Hollow and Soul Reaper alike, were strewn about those same streets. The corpses of the Soul Reapers being outnumbered by that of the Hollows' only because they were being eaten greedily by the maws of the Hollows.

The weak Soul Reapers were being slaughtered, the lower seated officers on the brink on death as the higher ranked Soul Reapers were being pushed to the limit to stay the advance of the army of Hollows. The Lieutenants and Captains were isolated from the rest of their forces, the barrage of strikes and ranged attacks that were being thrown at them from afar made it hard to concentrate of the fights that they had with their respective opponents. Each Captain's opponent was their worst nightmare, the type opponent that was best suited for defeating them in combat. The Adjuches and Menos Grande were being held off by the Lieutenants, though they were so severely out numbered that there was no ray of hope that lead them to victory. Not one that was obvious, anyway.

"C'mon!" Renji yelled his encouragement to those that could hear him, "We can't let them beat us!"

"Easy for you to say, Mr. Bankai!" Iba said, slicing through the hide of the Adjuches in front of him only to have his Shikai blade stop halfway into the creature's chest.

The Adjuches, a human sized Hollow that was shaped like a guerrilla, swung its massive club-like fist into the Soul Reaper. Renji yelled his name, as wide as the Lieutenant Iba rocketed towards the ground from the section of sky they were fighting in. A cloud of dust erupted from the place he crash landed. Before Renji could even hope to reach his ally, the Adjuches that he had been fighting made use of the opening the Lieutenant of Squad Six gave him.

The sword-like arms of the eight-limbed Hollow glinted in a strange way before they first batted away Renji's Shikai blade, then Renji himself. The red haired Soul Reaper flew up into the air from the upper-cutting slash from the Hollow, blood trailing his flight path. Momo screamed, eyes wide as she continued to fight off two Menos Grande at the same time. The rest of the Lieutenants were at a lost as to what they should be doing. The Eleventh Squad's Lieutenant was absent, watching her Captain fight the stronger lead-Vasto Lorde Torak, and Ikkaku took her place along with Yumichika. The Lieutenant of Squad Two was on the secret rescue operation for Misami Kuchiki, along with the powerful fighters Ichigo, Nel, Rukia, and finally Takeshi. Takeshi alone could decimate the entire population that was before them with one uncontrolled burst of his power, let alone his released form. Nel was supposedly even stronger than him, on par with at least Kenpachi. The main difference between the two Arrancar allies and the Captain of Squad Eleven, however, was that the Captain was here and the Arrancars were not.

"We have to hold out until the reinforcements get here!" Renji roared, rising from where he landed in the sky on his Reitsu platform.

"We get it, Renji!" Ikkaku yelled back, "Now shut up and _fight!_"

"R-Right!" Renji nodded, shifting his focus to just the Adjuches before him.

The Captains weren't faring much better, the power of the Vasto Lorde matched by their effective pairing of opponents. Toshiro had his ice Zanpakuto countered by a Vasto Lorde that could engulf his body in flame. Kurotsuchi's massive baby-headed caterpillar, poison spouting Bankai was countered by a Vasto Lorde that was immune to toxins and also so unbelievably nimble. Almost other Zanpakuto that was wielded by a Captain was in a similar way. The exceptions were Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki, one having such a versatile Shikai and Bankai, and the other having no second form at all, respectively. Regardless, the fights had been going long and hard for the past five to ten minutes. Though that may not be much time, it meant that in that time the fate of the entire Soul Society was hanging in the balance. It was still in danger of crumbling to the ground. This was one of the times where not one warrior could be allowed to fall, not until some of the strongest members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads returned from retrieving, arguably, one of the top Soul Reapers to exist.

The world seemed to be melded with a human's vision of Hell. Fires, crumbling buildings among ruins, bodies littering the ground, and the smells of the dead and dying filled the senses. It was total war, reports that all the remaining Hollows were surrounding the entirety of the Soul Society to destroy every single Soul that was in existence flowing in from scouting parties that had been in the area. There was almost nothing to be done about the situation, even the superweapons that Central 46 had at its disposal didn't have the needed firepower to save the Soul Society. There was only one hope for them, and it was there army of Soul Reapers. That military of "Death Gods", as they were sometimes mentioned, was at a severe military disadvantage. They were caught off guard and unsuccessful in their attempts to secure a place for the wounded to be treated while the combat raged on. Kido blasts erupted in the distance, Ceros searing through the spaces in between, and Hollows fell. Soul Reapers were no far behind.

They were succeeding, the Seireitei having not been completely fallen despite the Hollows' best efforts to the contrary. There was no hope in the eyes of the defenders, the sight of defeat blinding them to the big picture.

They needed a reason to have hope, a reason to think that they would come out of this nightmare alive.

And they needed it soon, before all was lost.

* * *

I felt pain, intense pain.

I had been tormented for centuries, the voices of the monsters assaulting my head in a relentless wave. They were joined by visitations from my friends and family, disgusted and disappointed looks marring their usually caring features. I had been disowned by Rukia and Byakuya, dismissed by Daiki, sneered at by Nel, and abandoned by Takeshi over and over again since I could last remember. I was forgetting the significance behind those names, only knowing that they meant everything to me.

I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't been in this place, in this nightmare. I was surrounded by darkness, surrounded by demons. My demons. I could hear Takeshi's worried voice, but I was smarter than that. I knew that it was just my mind plaing tricks on me. It had to be. There was no way that they would come after me after what I did, especially with the army that they had on their hands by now. For all I knew, they could have finished with the Hollow army by now, and left me here to rot in my own filth.

"Misami..." I heard again, this time closer than before, "Misami, come back to me..."

The voice of Takeshi was so strangely worried that I had to blink, though in the darkness it made not difference. What was that? Could it be that he really did come to save me after everything?

"Stay away! I won't fall for it again!" I screamed again, hoping that my words would send away the voice.

I couldn't stop from shaking. I grit my teeth, tears leaking through my tightly closed eyes. It was so cold, it had been cold for centuries, I felt like I was dead. Or was I dying? I couldn't really now for sure, but I did know that I wanted nothing more to go back to my home. A place where a raven haired Soul Reaper Lieutenant and Captain were waiting for me with all the food I could ever want. All the warm clothes that would never let me feel frozen stiff were in that house. I felt as though I wasn't wearing anything at all, and there was a new cold breeze that was making it almost unbearable.

The vision of Takeshi reaching out to me was happening again. This time, I had no energy to shout out, to resist, so I let him do as he pleased. He was tearing away something from my arms and ankles, ignoring everything else and always saying the same things. He was trying to help me, trying to free me, trying, trying and more trying. He doesn't realize, probably never will for that matter, that there is no real way to save me from my nightmares. There wasn't a way to free me from my cage. Aizen had done far more than make me go through nightmares and jam me into cages. He made me into a nightmare, and made my life a living prison. I couldn't escape myself, I couldn't run away from myself. That was, however, exactly what Takeshi had set his mind on doing: The impossible.

_Misami!? Master! Can you hear me?! _Hikari no Tenshi's voice was as terrified as it was worried,_ Master!_

_I thought I told you to call me Misami? _I thought back weakly, the effort alone making me want to go to an eternal sleep.

**That's our girl, tougher than an Arrancar's hide, **Hollow Hikari no Tenshi's layered voice echoed through the black void.

_How long have I been out? What's going on? _I grit my teeth, the effort the equivalent of standing back up from a Cero blast.

Hollow Hikari no Tenshi snickered, **What, like twenty minutes now? **

_That's it?! _My mind was on the verge of collapsing at the sheer amount of shock thrown its way, _It felt like it was a hundred years!_

_That must've been the work of the seals, somehow, _Hikari no Tenshi said, pausing in thought, _Maybe they put you in some sort of stasis that made time go by way slower?_

_...I'm not dead then? _I thought after a few seconds of silence.

Takeshi's voice sounded again, this time with hope creeping into his tone, "Misami! Move you're head again if you can hear me! C'mon, you can do it!"

_Well, _I thought, noticing with great joy that the void was receding, _I guess that means I have to go, huh?_

_Right, but Master? _Hikari no Tenshi said, _You won't remember this conversation or anything from about a day ago...The seals ate through so much of your spiritual pressure that they started to eat away at your life force. I tried to lessen the damage, but the events of the previous day and the day before...you wont be able to remember them. Everything back to when you were just finished training for your Bankai will be gone._

_No way, _I thought back, _Then are you going to tell me everything from that point on? _

_You don't want to forget it? _Hikari no Tenshi sounded dubious.

_I'd like to...but I don't feel like it would be right of me to forget the horrible things that I did...y'know? _I thought back.

_Very well, Master, _Hikari said

* * *

**You thinking what I'm thinking?**

_Of course. We must not let her remember what has happened. If she finds out, she won't be able to deal with the shock. We'll lose her forever._

**She'll get suspicious if we don't tell her anything about the past 24 hours. You know that right?**

_What do you suggest we do then? Lie?_

**I'll take blame. I'll something like "You were weak after Bankai training, so I took your body for a joy-ride". She'll believe me, then we never bring it up again.**

_As much as I hate to admit it, you are brilliant. _

**A compliment coming from you? Hell must have frozen over just now...**

_Oh, shut up, I'm not that cold..._

**No...that's not it...Maybe Byakuya smiled? Yeah, that would be harder to believe. **

_Be quiet, she's about to wake up!_

**Pushy, pushy...**

* * *

"T-Takeshi?" I croaked.

"Misami, oh thank goodness!" Takeshi exclaimed, leaning over me with his face far too near for it to be normal, "You have no idea how much I was worried!"

I blinked, confusion ruling my mind, "Takeshi..."

"Yes?" Takeshi said, looking into my eyes, "What is it?"

"I have a couple important questions..." I said, trying to stay calm as heat rushed to my face, "But there's one thing I'd like to know..."

"Yes?"

"What the _heck _are you doing to me?!" I suddenly raised my voice.

Takeshi's eyes followed my gaze. My body had a severe case of being nearly naked, with only strings of cloth covering my private areas, and Takeshi's hand had somehow found a way to my chest. Takeshi's eyes widened, his hand clenching around my flesh and eliciting a small, pitiful yelp of surprise from my lips. Before he could get out of his shock, my hand moved one its own and slapped the Arrancar across the face.

"Get. OFF!" I screamed, crossing my arms of over my breasts, "The first thing you do after I wake up is touch me?!"

"S-Sorry about that..." Takeshi said, then mumbled, "But its not like there was much to grab..."

"What was that, Takeshi?" I said, as if I really didn't hear the unprovoked jab.

"N-Nothing!"

"Then give me something to wear!" I said, my face as red as Renji's hair, "And don't look at me!"

"Alright, alright!"

"...Say, Takeshi," I said, the thought reoccuring to me as I wrapped myself in a brown blanket that looked like I stole it off a beggar, "What am I doing in Las Noches?"

The Arrancar had the most confused expression as he look back at me, "What did you say?"

"Uh, what am I doing here?" I reiterated, cocking an eyebrow, "...I, uh, don't really remember anything after..."

"What was the last thing you remember?" Takeshi interupted me, his eyes urgent.

I drew the rough cloth of the blanket tighter around me, my fists gripping the material as he got a little too close, "Umm...I was in Karakura Town...I was going to Kisuke's for something important..."

I remembered everything up to achieving my Bankai, but I didn't want to reveal that just yet.

"And? And?!" Takeshi pressed.

I reached out and pushed gingerly on his chest, pushing with only enough pressure to let him know that he was too close. An apologetic look crossed his features before he sat down next to me. I moved, though with some effort, so that I could use him as a backboard and leaned against him so that we were back-to-back. If I leaned back all the way, my head would even reach up to his shoulder blades. The shear difference between his body and mine was laughable, but we were more similar than we original thought. I looked around the room, the only light that was afforded to me was from a hole in the ceiling.

Judging from the scorch marks on the ceiling around the hole, as well as the fact that there was still some cinders glowing with heat in the shadows, I knew that Takeshi must have made that when he found me. It must have been around ten or fifteen minutes ago, since those embers of rock were almost burned out. The bone-like pieces of material in the shape of a sort of box told me that Takeshi must have destroyed a sort of barrier I had been in.

"No..." I suddenly whispered, my eyes locking onto a sight that I never thought that I would see, "No way..."

The sight of my twin Zanpakuto shattered on the ground within the confines of the bow of bone-like material, the scabbards halved and strewn next to them, was all I could think about. Those blades were one of my most prized possessions and a part of my soul. Hikari no Tenshi and her Hollow counterpart were a part of me, so to see them destroyed was like seeing them broken and beaten on the ground before me. I took the best care of them, honing the blades, cleaning them, and maintaining the scabbards. They were shorter than the average katanas, proportional to my height and stature, which made them seem even more like they were made for me. The way that they glinted when I swung them was a testament to that diligent work. Now they were broken, and thrown on the floor as if they were garbage. Sadness plagued my mind. Tears distorted my vision as I reached out for the remnants of my swords.

I reached as far as I could, but my arms were too short and the swords just out of reach. I continued to reach, I nearly fell over. Takeshi caught me, righting me so that I wouldn't fall, and retrieved the remains of my Zanpakuto for me. My hands went to my mouth as my tears fell.

"Takeshi," I said after I had a moment to catch my breath, my sadness turning to anger over the destruction of my precious swords, "What happened? Why did I wake up here?"

"You really don't remember?" Takeshi said after a pause.

"I asked for a reason," I responded, holding the hilts of my swords in vise grips.

"They...They kidnapped you," Takeshi said, closing his eyes, "They're attacking the Soul Society right now..."

"Go," I snapped.

Takeshi turned, an eyebrow cocked, "Wha-?"

"I said GO!" I hissed through gritted teeth, anger surging through me, "The Soul Society needs you more than I do. I'll be fine with a few moments, then I'll join you."

"Ichigo, Rukia, Daiki, and Nel are in Hueco Muendo too," Takeshi said, "Do you want me to send them back too?"

"They shouldn't have come," I said, trying to remain composed as all the thoughts of what I could have done in the time I couldn't remember swimming though my mind, "You shouldn't have come. Idiot."

"I'd rather be called an idiot by you than worry about you for the rest of time," Takeshi said, rising to his feet, "Promise me one thing, though."

"What?" I said, turning towards him.

"Don't die."


	25. The Child of Ragnarok The Fallen Angel

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope that everyone had a great Mother's Day! I've been working on this thing ever since the last chapter, trying to make it as enjoyable as I could. There was a lot of things that kept me from writing, so this update came later than I would have liked. But fear not! Your wait was worth it! This chapter is 21 thousand words long! It contains the singe most massive fight to this date for the story of Misami Tsukino Kuchiki and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads at this point in the story! An enemy that will shake the Gotei Thirteen to their very core!**

**In other announcements, I have finished my first fanart of Misami! Granted it's a chibi and not the whole sha-bang full body OC commission, but I'm proud of my work nonetheless. In case that last bit confused you, I myself drew the new avatar pic for the story! Also, after this chapter, there will be a filler chapter in the next month or so, depending, and then the story will take a short break. The reason for that is because the next sequence is Misami and co. in the Thousand Year Blood War arc in canon. Since I have been up to date with the manga, I've sort of forgotten what happened at the beginning of the story. I want to research the manga so that I can make it as close to the canon of the arc as I can! Also, during this time I will be putting the story under construction. Meaning I will be going back through the story to fix some errors that have come to my attention (You know who you are XD), as well as basic grammar and punctuation mistakes. This is so that it will be far more professional and so that it will flow easily with the other half of the story! **

**Thank you all who have supported the story so far, your encouragement and reviews each have allowed me to become a better writer as well as a more motivated one. I couldn't have made it this far without all of you, so thank you so much!**

**Thank you, cfore, for reviewing! Thank you so much for pointing that out! As the author, you tend to read and reread your previous work, but still miss glaring issues that make you feel kinda stupid (I.e. me XD) Thanks to you, I was able to see that the beginning of the story was a little quick and rushed in the relationship between Misami and Rukia (Probably because I wanted Misami to have a family as soon as possible XD). I will definitely be fixing that once I complete the filler chapter and get to fixing things like that! I look forward to any other advice you can give!**

**Thank you, MajorCartooniac, for reviewing! If you're referring to Misami's "family", those kids that took her in in Hanging Dog, then she misses them because they died. Basically, what happened to Rukia and Renji when they were children happened to Misami. Just in case you didn't know (Not that I'm an expert on Bleach or anything XD), when a Soul dies in the Soul Society, their reincarnated in the Human World. This means that they wouldn't be in the Soul Society and more and therefore missed by those they knew, you know? Anyways, thanks for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, ideas, my OCs, and the art used for this story's avatar. **

* * *

Takeshi roared onto the battlefield, the gaping maw of the Garganta spewing out three Soul Reapers and another Arrancar.

He surged forwards, his sword drawn with his face an avatar of a god of war. Pure rage was reflected in the sinister glint of his steel, but was soon gone with the blood covering the blade. The Adjuches and Menos Grande that had been giving the Lieutenants and seated officers of the Seireitei were nothing for the enraged Takeshi. Their massive forms collapsed in pieces, limbs and heads ripped from their corpses as Takeshi paved a warpath to the massive signature of Flamun. All others were useless prey to him, to be handled by the weaker of the Seireitei. Rukia and Daiki, Lieutenants of their respective Squads, joined the rest of the second-in-commands in taking care of the remaining Adjuches and Menos Grande. Nel, her face neutral with a strange look of distaste, began to attack anything that had a Hollow mask.

The sight of all this destruction made Takeshi have small flashes of the desolation of Hanging Dog by a certain white-haired Kuchiki. He shook his head, remembering that it was Flamun that had made her do that to her home, that he made her do something that was so totally against her personality that she forgot about it. He would never forgive them. He'd pound them into dust, let them regenerate, and then slice them into a million pieces. He'd cause them every bit of pain that they caused Misami, leaving her like that trembling with fear and in the dark like an animal. He'd make sure that they had their fair share of interest on that payment.

"FLAMUN!" Takeshi roared, releasing his sword without a command and morphing it into a massive great-sword, "FIGHT ME!"

The Vasto Lorde, firing a fire-ball to counter an ice attack from Captain Hitsugaya, turned towards the rampaging Arrancar, "Oh look who we have her-!"

The taunting words of the leader of the enemy armies were cut off by the god of all uppercuts. Bones in the Vasto Lorde's neck shattered and cracked, nearly beheading the monster outright. He sent him end over end through the sky, only to slam into a building with a massive _crash_. Takeshi didn't waste any time, slamming into the nearly unresponsive body of Flamun. He stabbed his sword through the shoulder of his prey, pinning him to the ground. With his hands freed, he proceeded to punch the ever-living crap out of Flamun.

"This is for Misami, trash!" Takeshi yelled, his friend's name accompanied by a massive right hook to Flamun's jaw.

"What-Ugh!" Flamun said, his mask cracking, "What the-Ugh!"

"You will not speak!" Takeshi said, glaring as he continued to pound his face in, "You have lost the right to even breathe!"

Flamun was nothing more than a pile of flesh when Takeshi left him, though he made sure that it was just below the lethal threshold. The damage to his neck would put even him out for a long time while his regenerative abilities mended the bones and wounds. In the meantime, Takeshi took it upon himself to destroy as many Hollows as he could. The anger he felt was too great to hold in, all of the worry and rage that he felt towards his former pupil too much to hold back. It was all he could do not to kill the monster outright, since he knew the only satisfaction that he could get out of this situation was to beat him within an inch of his life over and over again.

Suddenly, as Takeshi was about to launch into the air in search of more targets, a Cero blast slammed into his chest. The beam wasn't strong enough to go through his body, but it was easily enough to knock him aside and into the sky. Solidifying the air under his body, Takeshi slid to a stop on the Reishi platform he made. He rose to his feet in the sky, looking all over for the culprit.

A sharp pain bloomed from his back from five needle-like stab wounds. Glancing behind his back, Takeshi saw the hooded figure of Agramon. The lanky-limbed Vasto Lorde had a sinister aura, killer-intent so present that Takeshi could use it alone to pinpoint his location. The assassin Vasto Lorde surged through the air in an astonishing Sonido, claws gleaming with blood from a thousand kills. The cries of battle all around them disguised the small amount of sound that he made, making Takeshi rely on only sensory means of detection. Sight, smell, the subtle differences in air pressure, and spiritual signature all at once to help him figure out where the sneaky Vasto Lorde vanished.

But when he attacked, he could only do so by getting close enough to reach with his elongated claws. Which was easily within reach of Takeshi's released great sword. Takeshi, reached behind his back quickly, before Agramon could disengage his claws, and latched onto the Vasto Lorde's thin wrist. The bones shattered with the massive pressure from his grip, the sound lost in the noises of battle around them as well as Agramon's angered grunts of anguish. Torak's hulking form slammed into Takeshi's chest just as the Arrancar was about to administer the killing blow. He flew straight into the ground, met by a massive pairing of Cero blasts from both of his opponents. The resulting explosion rocked the Seireitei, tremors from the blast affecting even those in the Rukkon Districts beyond the confines of the Soul Reaper city. Agramon and Torak stood in the air above. They could sense that the blast had no effect whatsoever on their former master. In fact, they had a feeling that the attack only made their overall situation worse.

The air grew even more dense from what it already was, the increase in pressure from the Arrancar that had been struck down temporarily over shadowing every spiritual pressure in the area. The fighting collectively stopped for the briefest of moments to stare at the source of this great power. It smelled of pure rage, of undying spite towards its enemies. Whatever had happened to Takeshi in the land of Hueco Muendo had awakened something within him that would put the wrath of a war god to shame. The unadulterated ire that was laced through his spiritual pressure was so potent, that the lesser Hollows that were near him were vaporized as a pillar of blood red spiritual pressure erupted into the sky.

The smell of vaporized flesh wafted through the sky, reaching the noses of all those in the midst of fighting. Something had changed within Takeshi's spiritual pressure. The theoretical "last straw" having been not only taken, but ripped from his grasp. What was an outburst that they thought was just the Arrancar being his impulsive and bloodthirsty self, most thought it was due to a war starting without his presence. That was definitely _not _what was happening here. The fights all stopped, everyone halting in their fights to watch the Arrancar's next move. They all, in their own way, were astonished. Some, like Byakuya Kuchiki, simply widened his eyes in a slightly concerned expression, while Kenpachi Zaraki's grin grew to resemble a mad-man. Kurotsuchi's expression shifted from intrigued to confused, then to outright ecstatic at the new specimen that he could test more of his creations on. While Rukia shared Byakuya's expression, though her concern was slightly more apparent, the rest of the Lieutenants were in a state of shock. The remaining Captains were in the same state as their Lieutenants. Daiki's face was still obscured from view, so his expression was still a mystery. The sheer amount of awe that the Arrancar was causing by this output of power had been able to bring an entire war to a stand still.

He stood to his feet, his sword glowing in a sinister red. Shadowy black flames licked at the air as they burned from his blade. The white, malleable Hollow bone material of his released form turned black. It seemed as if his anger was so intense that the color that represented purity couldn't withstand it and turned to darkness. The material shifted and elongated, forming into a bastard sword that was as tall as the Arrancar's body, excluding the three foot hilt that his gripped with blackening taloned fingers.

"Is the great Takeshi Yagami throwing a temper tantrum?" Flamun said, laughing as he appeared from a Sonido, "How can you-argh!"

The gloating Vasto Lorde's comments were cut short with a massive gut shot from the enraged Arrancar. Blood sprayed from the creature's mouth, a hole rending itself through its torso with Takeshi's fist emerging from his flesh. If the eyes of the Hollows were visible, it would be very obvious how shocked they were at the sight of their leader being nearly bisected with a single punch. Takeshi's black eyes were glowing a sinister blood red, his body glowing the same hue. Before the area realized it, Takeshi had vanished from sight with a small grunt marking his last location. Heads turned left and right with a fearful gaze on the Hollow side, with the Soul Reapers in a similar situation. The massive powerhouse of a being was no where to be found.

That is, until he appeared before Torak and blasted the Vasto Lorde's arm away with a powerful Cero. The anguished yell of the body-builder Vasto Lorde echoed through the still air, the entire battlefield resuming as the crash resounded thereafter.

A Garganta ripped into the air above the Seireitei once again, the regular Hollows that the Soul Reapers were used to fighting pouring out of its black maw by the dozens. The Soul Reapers that had already been defeated in combat and just now getting to their feet had the unwanted prospect of being used as cannon fodder until there was at least some more powerful than they to defeat the new arrivals.

Takeshi smashed through the surging forces of lesser Hollows that came through that portal, ignoring the Ceros that Agramon and Torak sent his way. They stood no chance against the Arrancar, his rage and powerful aura of killer intent leaving the lesser beings in dust by his mere presence. The relief that the Seireitei's battle-weakened forces felt was short-lived however. This was due to the fact that Takeshi's power was increasing the size of the Garganta by simply standing before it. The seemingly endless force that was generated by his spiritual pressure was driving the edges of the sky's tear further and further apart. Soon, almost right after he finished off the surge of Hollows and was going back to attacking his former pupils, the Garganta was large enough to support Menos Grande in entering the Soul Society.

However, the Arrancar couldn't have been more ignorant of the fact as he cleaved through one of Agramon's arms. Takeshi had attacked Agramon in the instant that he relocated his signature, and then paid no heed to the massive Garganta that he had unknowingly created. The offending limb fell away from the Vasto Lorde with a sharp intake of breath, Torak appearing behind him with a Cero already charged. Agramon used his astonishing speed to burst away from the cross-fire as Torak fired the erasing beam.

Silently, with no maniacal laughter like every other fight that the Arrancar had ever been in, Takeshi held out one hand and caught the beam without flinching. The red beam was from one of the strongest Vasto Lorde in all of Hueco Muendo, and had plenty of time to gather that strength into the blast. Takeshi, in his rage, was exceeding his own hindrances and not holding back at all. The seals that he had remaining, including those that the Soul Society told no one else, were overloaded and consequentially disintegrated. So the powerful blast was nothing to the Arrancar, the image of his only friend and family with her mind and body broken as she cried in a fetal position was still fresh in his mind. That image was fueling his anger, and his power as a result.

"You think stopping one attack is enough to stop us?" Agramon's voice whispered behind him, the tips of his five sword-like claws emerging from his gut, "Think again."

Takeshi clenched his fist, destroying the Cero that he was stopping, and looked down at his stomach. He coughed up blood, the crimson liquid splattering on his already bloody chest and the ground far below. Agramon jerked his claws upwards, then pulled back to grab the Arrancar's spine in his grasp. Takeshi, hissing in pain and anger, reached behind to grab the Vasto Lorde's wrist. Unlike last time, there was no slow crushing of the bones. It was an instant and decisive pulverizing of the beings limb. His arms now gone, the previously dismembered limb having not completed its regeneration, Agramon scrambled away in a Sonido.

Before Takeshi could give chase, he first had to rid himself of the clawed hand that was still wrapped around his spine. Gingerly, he gripped the stub that used to be Agramon's wrist and pulled it out. The claws were so sharp and needle-like that they slid out without much difficulty. Though, there was the fact that it made the deep lacerations even deeper before the appendage was completely out of his body. By the time that he had completed this task however, Agramon was too far way and he had lost track of his signature in the fray that surrounded him. Torak's, however, was strong and heading straight for him.

"You're gonna eat it now, loser!" Torak roared, his fist flying at incredible speed.

Takeshi took it on the chin. The shock wave from the strike that came from the Vasto Lorde that embodied strength cascaded over the battlefield. Barely standing buildings were knocked down to ruins along with the rubble from collapsed rooftops. Despite that, the Arrancar hadn't moved an inch from where he was in the sky. The only difference between before and after the punch landed was that his head was aimed skywards. Slowly, almost sinisterly, Takeshi slowly lowered his head to look at the astonished Torak.

The Vasto Lorde didn't give Takeshi the chance to retaliate. He sent massive punch after massive punch into his body, his head, his stomach, his sides all receiving punishment. The impacts of those punches knocked away some of the lesser Hollows that were exiting the massive Garganta and knocking around the Menos Grande that had barely gotten to its maw. The fights that were going on around the Seireitei were thrown off slightly by the change in air pressure, but otherwise continued on with their battles. Torak didn't seem to mind the havoc that he was creating for the lesser Hollows, along with the unranked Soul Reapers that were fighting them to the death. He simply continued to beat the ever living crap out of his former mentor with all of his amazing and terrifying strength.

Takeshi took them all with a straight face, letting the Vasto Lorde tire himself out with the pointless struggle of trying to wound him with such weak attacks. The battlefield that he had longed for in his millennium of existing was nothing but the background. Despite being in the middle of a place that he should feel most at home, he felt nothing for it. Only the desire to avenge his beloved Misami until those that tortured her were nothing but dust. Everyone that would dare cause her pain deserved to be obliterated from existence.

Takeshi took hold of both of Torak's arms in the middle of his strikes, the punches that caused buildings to crumble were stopped without any real effort from the Arrancar. His anger allowed him to ignore the broken and fractured bones in his hands as he glared down the Vasto Lorde with a death glare that would have made Daiki proud.

Torak's expression changed from defiant to scared to shocked. That was due to the astronomically powerful knee that Takeshi threw into his gut. The force that was sent into the Hollow's gut was powerful enough to continue on past his back and cleared away some of the leaves off of the trees a great distance away. His eyes practically bulging out of his mask, the Vasto Lorde coughed up blood onto Takeshi's chest as the force sent him flying away.

Takeshi looked at the blood, at the bruising in his hand, and then went on to look around himself at the battlefield. His anger was no where near sated, and he had agreed to ally with the Soul Society for Misami's sake. The current state of the Seireitei was unacceptable according to that fact, as Hollows were devouring Soul Reapers and fighting them off with vigor in anticipation of trying another. The Lieutenants were all having trouble with the amount of Adjuches that they were all dealing with. One could fight the middle class Hollows by themselves with moderate difficulty, but the thirteen of them plus Nel were fighting off at least fifty of them. Fifty with the massive Garganta letting in more and more by the second. The Captains were holding their own against the Vasto Lorde, but were having trouble with their respective fights. Each was matched with the worst possible opponent that they could face, their respective Shikai and Bankai having been nullified as a result. Flamun was in the middle of fighting the white-haired Captain of Squad Ten, his fire-claws slicing right through the ice-cold slashes of the short Soul Reaper. Torak was currently sailing away at record speed, Agramon having disappeared among the fray.

Takeshi took a breath, and let out a growl of anger. Then he descended upon the battlefield like a war god on a rampage.

* * *

I looked around at the desolate hall I walked through. The vacant walls white and scuffed with cracks running across their panes.

I felt the presence of Hollows, but knew that it was only the residue of the vile beasts. I limbed forward, the pain of moving my body agonizingly familiar. It was the same sensation as those weeks before when I had returned from this place with seals that had left me with nothing but barely then energy to breathe and use my eyes. My chest ached, my heart weak from the stress and agony that I had just came from about ten minutes ago. I held my upper left arm with my right, one eye closed in tandem with the grimace that I was making due to the pain. The trek to my destination was a long one, but at least it was on the same side of the palace instead of the opposite. I doubted I could make it any further than what I was forced to do at the moment.

I didn't even know where I was supposed to be going in the first place.

Shafts of light were surprisingly more numerous than the last time I was here. Takeshi must have been busy on his way out to the Soul Society. The loud explosions that came after he left me here backed that assumption up. I really couldn't care less for the well-being of this palace. In fact, I wished it would just burn to the ground. My head was pounding, a migraine surfacing to add to my symphony of enduring pain. I had no idea where I was going, but at the same time did. I was in nothing but strings under the stained and pitiful brown beggar's blanket, my private areas feeling every draft that went under the rough cloth. At least the scratchy material was warm, otherwise I doubted I would be able to stand it along with my pains.

_Master..._

"Hikari?" I said, gasping with surprise at the sudden sound of my Zanpakuto's voice. "Thank God! What happened?"

_What do you mean, Master? _Hikari said, strangely trying to dodge the subject.

**She means what happened while she was out, stupid, **Hollow Hikari said, giving the impression that she rolled her eyes as she spoke.

I continued walking, having stopped after initially hearing the pair, "Don't mind me, you two...It's not like I woke up in the middle of my own personal Hell-hole or anything..."

_Sorry, Master..._

**Yeah, sorry about that, Princess...**

I blinked, realizing that Hollow Hikari had just apologized, something that I never thought I was going to witness, "So fill me in, guys."

**I took you for a joyride after you achieved your Bankai. But those stupid Vasto Lorde idiots used some Aizen tech to make me attack them...Made me do their dirty work...**

I walked forwards in silence, trying to take deep breaths to deal with my pounding head. I regretted asking so soon after waking in Las Noches, since I had to deal with my wounds as well as the mental onslaught of the flashbacks that this place brought. In addition to that, now I had to take in the possibilities of what the Vasto Lorde had made Hollow Hikari do while controlling _my _body. The amount of power at my disposal as a Third Seat in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, even with my being exiled from the Soul Society, was comparable to most Lieutenants without the release of my Sword. Taking into consideration the facts that I didn't have as much experience in actual combat as those above me, or the fact that I had yet to fully master my Shikai, this was a sound estimate. With the release of my Shikai, I was able to go toe-to-toe with most Captains. Those that were still above me were those like Ichigo, Kenpachi, the Head Captain, and my brother, who all were masters of their Bankai, their Shikai, and had so many battles under their belts that they were extremely confident in their swordsmanship. Despite this, the fact still remained that I was a very powerful force in my own right.

**Don't leave out the part where you have a Hollow inside ya, or that you're going to be able to use Hollow abilities if you wanted it enough.**

"You can't be serious," I said aloud dismissively, shaking my head as I headed towards my destination, "Ichigo can't use Hollow abilities, so why would I?"

_You should be able to, Master, _Hikari chimed in, _After all, that's what...that man intended from the start. _

"...What are you talking about?" I said, the mere mention of _him _making my blood boil.

_His goal was to create a small army of completely loyal Hollow-Whole Hybrids that were able to become Soul Reapers through the Academy and infiltrate the ranks of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He wanted to have them forget what happened to them during their creation, and set a Kido over them that would seal their memories of this place as soon as they were outside the walls of Las Noches. In the end, he would have waited for the right moment to strike, unsealing the memories and leaving those he created with one mission ingrained into their minds. That was to kill everything in sight that wasn't an ally. They would recognize their fellow Hybrids in the fray, since they were running from the same monsters together, and they would kill a great number of Soul Reapers and distract the Soul Society long enough to give Aizen the opportunity to attack Central 46 and steal the Hogyoku._

"I'm sensing a 'but' somewhere, Hikari," I said, staring forwards and hoping for good news.

**Yeah, the reason why he never used such a great plan was because the Hybrids died during their training. You were the only one that didn't though. Not sure if that was a good thing, since he could only experiment with you.**

I looked around at the utterly boring and ruined walls of the palace, the building left to rot in the Hollow world after Aizen left it for good all that time ago. So I was the soul survivor of an experiment that he was going to use to take over the Soul Society from the inside. Fantastic.

"What did they make you do?" I said, saving the conversation for why she took control of my body for another day.

**You...don't wanna know, Princess...**

"Tell me now, before I won't be able to think straight." I said, grimacing as my side started to hurt along with my other injuries. "I know that you guys are hiding something from me. I can handle it, I swear."

**I wouldn't be so sure, Princess. I have a feeling that you'll be doing something really reckless after I tell ya. Heck, I _know _that you will. **Hollow Hikari said with an almost dismissive sigh.

I growled mentally, feeling a twinge of anger at the reluctance of both my Zanpakuto to give me a straight answer, "Just. Tell. Me."

**Okay, okay...Don't say that we didn't warn ya, Princess. **

_The Vasto Lorde made her attack the Soul Society. On two separate occasions. The targets were the Squad Twelve research wings...and the South 78th Rukkon District..._

"...What?" I said, the air falling eerily silent.

**And three, two...one...**

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed, ignoring the commentary from Hollow Hikari, "And you let them!?"

**What part of being controlled did you not understand, Princess?**

_The incident that forced you into exile was also caused by Flamun. _Hikari added in monotone.

I was shocked, appalled that the Vasto Lorde had made her do that while she was in control of my body. That he would force the events that took everything from me that mattered. My home, the place where I had lived in for hundreds of years. Granted it was mostly spent in constant fear and terror, with every shadow jumping out at me at the mere physical age of five or six. The people that lived there were innocent, only being crude and harsh because they were forced to. I never blamed anyone for my problems in that time in my life, not the adults and not the nobles that I heard the adults curse under their breath. That was because I had a sense that it was far better than what I was used to, though I never really knew why I felt like that. Now, of course, I knew that I came from Aizen's inhumane and horrible experiments and that they made the tribulations of the Rukkon heaven by comparison. I suppose that somewhere deep down that my soul remembered the horror that I was forced to go through, and gave me an abnormally mature outlook on life as a result. Resulting from that, I had no period of childhood innocence and was wiser than those Wholes that were thousands of years old.

Because of these facts, I wouldn't wish harm on those that pointed their anger at me. We all needed someone to blame to make ourselves feel better. That being said, Hollow Hikari attacking the Rukkon and the Twelfth Squad would look like a ploy for revenge on the Soul Society for my exile. It would destroy my only chance at returning to its safe and secure walls where my family lived. My chance to prove that I could control myself and live peacefully in the World of the Living for a time without incident. All destroyed because the sheer _idiocy _of that Vasto Lorde Flamun. Anger boiled in my stomach.

"I can use Hollow abilities right?" I asked curtly, moving with new vigor towards my destination.

I could tell that Hollow Hikari's words were spoken with a shrug, **Yeah, ya can. Same thing as your Soul Reaper Kido and stuff like that. Gargantas are even easier, since you just have to rip space open instead of openin' it with your sword like the Senkaimon. **

"Good," I responded, void of emotion.

**But, Princess, you're forgetting something important...**

"What?" I said, not restraining the annoyance I felt at that moment before grimacing again.

**Don't you think it would be hard to do something that you hate? If you despise me, even though I'm a part of you, you'll never be able to use the Hollow goodies at all. Much less open a Garganta to a set place without muckin' it up.**

"Of course I hate you!" I screamed, the anger flushing through me dulling the pain it caused, "You're the reason that I can't be normal! It's you're fault that I'm stuck here in the middle of a haunted castle all by myself! Because of you, Rukia and Brother won't love me anymore! No one will love you anymore! I'll never have a chance like that again in my life! I'll never have a family or a home again! How can I not hate you?!"

**People like you always blame themselves before anyone else, even when they don't realize it, Princess. **

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

_She and I are a part of you, just as you are a part of us, Master. _Hikari spoke up, _And blaming a part of you for something that happened to another part of you is still blaming yourself._

**What the Stiff is tryin' to say, **the wry tones of Hollow Hikari said, **Is that it's because you ran away from yourself, from me, that we're stuck in this mess. So it's not my fault. It's yours.**

"No...Don't you dare try to lie to me again to save your own skin!" I said, falling to my knees as I suddenly felt lightheaded.

**I don't need to save my own skin, Princess, that's your problem. Duh.**

I took a deep breath, more for the sake of actually breathing than to calm down. I tried without restraint to try and deny those words coming from both swords of my Zanpakuto. I had needed a place to throw all of my anger, my hate, and frustration on something. I needed something to blame. When I was in the Rukkon Districts, sleeping near the river of Hanging Dog after my first "family" had died, I'd pushed those thoughts away and just lived in a colorless world that was in nothing but shades of grey. I would watch a group of friends that were older than me by a good amount of years play in that river from the shadows up stream. A boy with red hair and a girl with raven hair and big eyes filled with determination would be fishing in the river while the others watched. They all seemed so happy and at home despite the fact that they lived in some of the worst possible conditions that the Soul Society had to offer. I envied them so much it hurt, so I stopped going to the river any time that I saw that they were camping out there.

I hated them that they could have something that I couldn't, that they could have a family. So I ran away before it started to hurt worse.

Was this just a repeat of that time? Was I really just blaming Hollow Hikari for my own problems?

I shook my head, furrowing my brow and rising to my feet. I was going to destroy those Hollows for what they had done to me. I wasn't my fault. Now that I knew that it wasn't my Zanpakuto's fault, I knew that it had to be the one Vasto Lorde that had planned this all out. Flamun was going to pay, and he was going to pay over and over again until I was satisfied. Then, he was going to die a painful death. The anger surging through me, I pressed forwards.

_Master, you need to calm down. If you charge into a battlefield with both sides hating you, you won't be able to win. _Hikari said after a long silence on her part.

"Who cares?!" I nearly shouted, my sides nearly splitting as a result. "They made me kill innocents when I wasn't able to stop them! Flamun's the reason why I've lost everything! How do you think I'm supposed to react?"

_What will you do, Master? _Hikari said, _You're barely able to walk, much less fight. How will you fight off the strongest that both factions have to offer?_

"I have a Bankai, now," I said, barely stopping, "And I can use Hollow abilities. Oh! Here's the best part! I don't care that I have to fight off everyone! All I want is Flamun's head!"

**I like this girl, Stiff! **Hollow Hikari said with a hearty laugh.

_I told you not to call me such an offensive name, idiot, _Hikari said in response.

With that echoing through my mind, I burst through the door into the room that I was heading towards.

I blinked, shocked at the sight of Espada-like clothes that looked eerily like they would fit my form. A bed that looked like it still had a depression of my body that remained from the last time it was used. Other than that it was an ordinary room. I couldn't hear anything, or feel anything for that matter. I'd lived here, if only for a little while.

And it looked like it was willingly on my Hollow side's part, like Flamun had made my Hollow seem like an important part of his little operation.

I was going to kill every one of those sad excuses for beings...

* * *

Takeshi roared among the noises and calls of battle. His Bone-Greatsword cleaving through the bodies of those that had caused his only reason for living harm. The Adjuches, Menos Grande, and the lower class Hollows all fell the same. They were nothing under the blood red light of his rage.

But the same could not be said for those that were fighting the Vasto Lorde and Adjuches that were not under his blade. The Captains were all having a hard time fighting off their respective opponents. The stronger Captains like Ichigo Kurosaki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake and the Head Captain were faring well against their opponents, fighting them to either a draw that had dragged out for the past few hours or forcing them to fight on the defensive. However, the rest of the Seireitei did not share in the powerful Soul Reapers' vast combat abilities and knowledge. The Lieutenants were barely holding their own, and the lower ranked Soul Reapers were all but incapacitated and strewn about the battle field. Zanpakuto jutted out of the ground or were gripped in the cold hands of the dead among the ruins of the once great military installation of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

"You and your worthless friends have failed, Impostor!" Flamun yelled triumphantly, blocking off Takeshi's onslaught of attacks with flaming claws.

Takeshi remained silent, the rage having barely even beginning to be quenched. The Captain of Squad Ten was laying defeated on the ground far below with a deep gash on his left cheek that was bound to scar, his parting gift from the flaming Vasto Lorde that had fought him a few minuted ago. Takeshi had been impaled from behind by his flaming talons, his senses dulled in the mindless slaughter that his rage had engulfed him in. There was far more than enough Hollows to keep his blade soaked in crimson and his mind occupied with targets. It was an essential part of Flamun's plan, since he knew that the Arrancar was one of his greatest obstacles. Him, and his white-haired demon of a master. Those that were also under that witch's spell, the other Arrancar, the Captain and Lieutenant of Squad Five, and the Lieutenant of Squad Two.

Subject Twenty-Three was possibly the greatest obstacle that he faced due to those that had her back. Her closest friends were ready and willing to do her bidding, all of them influential in either the Seireitei or the feudal system of the Soul Society, but mostly both. She only needed to ask for anything, and it was likely that every single one of those massively powerful beings would complete her will. She need only ask them. But Twenty-Three was strangely complacent with merely have them in company, like having them in her power was enough. It was unlike the documents of Las Noches in her files. Though it was consistent with the suggestion that she had a sort of multiple-personality disorder, a coping mechanism for the experiments that she was forced to go through. A demon that lay in wait inside the body and mind of an angel. In truth, she was the perfect being of both halves of her soul. The perfect angel of death, a Soul Reaper, and a perfect demonic beast, a Hollow.

It was because of this that Flamun had made it his mission to control her, or sever her head before her demon awoke.

With Takeshi battering away at Flamun's defenses, he directed his thoughts back to the fight at hand. The impostor of his mentor, the Warrior King of Hueco Muendo, the undisputed Third King of Hueco Muendo, was reduced to a mere barbarian with rage so bottomless that the fires of Hell were put to shame. He felt the damage of each strike as it collided with his guarding forearms and shins, but was able to negate most of that force with highly accurate and technical positioning of his limbs and distribution of his massive spiritual pressure. The Hollow bone great-sword was a formidable weapon, cleaving through great buildings possibly miles away with a single slash of the air. Winds and currents fast enough to destroy the weakened buildings were created merely by moving the sword. Of course, this was only possible because that frightening and monstrous rage of the Impostor's was flowing through that bone.

Suddenly, that powerful blade turned to a strange pudgy consistency. It writhed and squirmed as if alive, the blackened bone looking like the drool of demons, shifting into the shape of a war-axe. With a mighty sweep, Takeshi grunted in effort as he swung the top-heavy weapon in a upper-cutting strike from the bottom left to the top right in a diagonal curve. The strike grazed the armor-like skin of the Vasto Lorde, creating a superficial wound that traced a crimson line along the attack's lethal arc. Flamun was openly laughing, no doubt smirking behind that mask of his. Takeshi couldn't care less that the attack missed, the next attack in the sequence he set in motion arriving fast. Flamun's eyes widened as he felt Takeshi's skull ram into his chin at near supersonic speeds. Normally, an attack like that would send the targets neck back so quickly that it would fly off. Seeing as the target was one of the strongest Vasto Lorde class Hollows, he was simply rocketed backwards at an astonishing pace.

Blood marked his trail on the ground as he plummeted into the ruins of a storage house, a corpse from a fallen Fourth Squad Soul Reaper tossed into the air as a result. Takeshi wasted no time, and pushed towards the growing cloud of rising smoke form the impact zone. He raced towards it at his fastest Sonido, fueled by his rage, but wasn't able to get the drop on the overconfident and exceedingly intelligent Vasto Lorde. Before Takeshi could reach the Hollow, a bright red Cero erupted out of the smoke and surged towards Takeshi at an inescapable rate. With no way to dodge the massive beam, Takeshi moved to block with his released sword, the war-axe shifting into the shape of a spartan's circular shield.

As the beam reached the Arrancar, Flamun yelled at the top of his lungs from where he stood on the ground, "You can't win, Impostor! There are far too many of us and not enough of you! The weaklings that you called allies have all but fallen, even their leaders having to fall back in retreat! What could you possibly do to defeat us?"

With that last sentence, Flamun produced an increased output rate of his Cero. The edges of the bright crimson beam became flame-like and astonishingly hot. Having barely been able to handle the previous blast, Takeshi was blown away by the Vasto Lorde's counter attack. The massively powerful Arrancar echoed the impact of his opponent and former pupil, slamming into the ground with an enormous crash. His cloud of smoke was double the size of Flamun's, as was the noise level of his impact with the hard packed earth. Having his battle strategy effectively crippled with the sudden surge in the Vasto Lorde's abilities, Takeshi fired off a Cero to keep his opponent at bay while his picked himself off the ground. His erasing beam was easily dodged, but afforded him the few seconds that he needed.

_Raaahhhhh!_

Rising to his feet, Takeshi let out a blood-curdling battle cry that shook the mighty to their very core. Blood lust filled the air as Takeshi surged into the sky in pursuit of his adversary. For all the attacks that he unleashed, totaling in to tens or twenties, only one was able to get through the Vasto Lorde's dodging and blocking. That one attack was able to cleave through the Vasto Lorde's midsection. The shape of the blade that he had used in that one attack was different from the previous weapons that the Arrancar had wielded. It boasted a groove along the katana-shaped blade, a strange liquid that dripped from a well in the hilt running through that minuscule canal.

Because of that strange liquid, the high-speed regeneration of the Vasto Lorde that made all damage negligible after ten or so seconds was shockingly nullified. The gutting wound remained unable to mend, as evidenced by the bulging eyes of the victim and the string of curses that would have made a Westerner proud.

"Wha-What have you done!?" Flamun screamed, anger and fear resonating in his voice at the same time.

"A little gift from the Twelfth Squad," Takeshi said, looking through a furrowed brow as he hissed out the first words since his fight began, "A corrosive that destroys at the same rate you regenerate."

Flamun growled like a wild beast, "You think that this is going to stop me, Impostor? Think again! This mighty Vasto Lorde will not fall to the trickery of traitors!"

Flamun vanished in a burst of Sonido, his image going static for an instant and then disappearing completely. Takeshi, however, didn't sense his approach towards himself. Instead, he sensed that he was heading towards an open patch of sky that was not occupied by any fights or souls. He reappeared there in that blank slate of sky, his arms outstretched and a low rumble coming from his throat.

Takeshi, despite still being enraged, halted and stared after the Vasto Lorde with a look of puzzlement. There seemed to be no large attack that he was formulating, no sort of build up of power that would herald some sort of finishing move. Because of that, Takeshi almost turned his back on the Vasto Lorde, his blood lust calling him into the fray below where blood and gore fell in fountains.

However, Takeshi sensed that the signatures of Torak and Agramon were fast approaching the location of Flamun. There was a twinge of anger in both their spiritual pressures, as if they were being forced to do something that they wished not to, with Flamun's anger being one forged in the fires of desperation. They all communed together, and Takeshi immediately realized what it was that they were planning. He raced for their position, his sword stretched out so that he would be able to reach them sooner. Unfortunately, and much to his ire, he was too late to stop their power-play, his efforts cut short by a stray Cero from a Menos Grande. By the time that Takeshi was able to dodge and continue towards his goal, Flamun had already sealed the deal.

Claws grabbing the shoulders of Torak, Flamun began to consume the berzerker Vasto Lorde's flesh like a wild animal. Blood sprayed from the wound, sinews flailing in the air as he ripped his head to the side to tear away flesh. The signature that Torak gave off, one that felt like Takeshi's when he was in the mood for a fight, started to merge with that of Flamun. Takeshi tried to reach Flamun before it was too late, but was quickly stopped by Agramon's scythe-like talons. Fighting off the assassin Vasto Lorde, whom moved too fast for the raging Takeshi to effectively hit, while getting cut from every possible angle by his claws was a hard task. It was because of that reason that Takeshi was not able to make it in time before Flamun had completely consumed, having broken through Agramon's defenses too late.

Flamun towered over Takeshi, his height reaching at least eight feet from head to toe, beady red eyes behind a devil-horned Hollow mask. His knuckles were spiked, the protrusions acting as the Vasto Lorde version of brass knuckles. His forearms had three backward sweeping, blade-like spikes each, the white bio-weapons gleaming in the afternoon sun. His shoulders boasted spikes that shot out at forty-five degree angles away from his head, their points reaching higher than even the fur tied into a top-knot atop his skull. His knee caps and elbows also had similar, though much smaller spikes. His shins had small, dome-like bumps adorning them and his toes were replaced with razor-sharp claws. Red tribal-styled markings painted his white skin, the same color as the blood that both entities within that massive body had spilled. The muscles that made the visages of the Greek Gods of old be put to shame. The definition in the Vasto Lorde's muscles could be seen even from where Takeshi stood in the air several meters away.

"What did you do?!" Kensei suddenly said, calling from where his opponent lay with limbs twisted at awkward angles, "As if that piece of crap Hollow wasn't enough to deal with as two!"

Takeshi didn't even spare the short-tempered Captain a glance, seeing that most of them were still too busy with fighting their own battles. The Soul Reapers were losing this battle, the forces that were surrounding the Soul Society were closing in, obliterating anything in their path. The Seireitei didn't have the resources or the time to divert to the Soul Society's aid. Takeshi knew that without peeking over some Captain's shoulder, simply because the majority of the Soul Reapers were called back to the fortress city for additional training for the coming battle. But that training was severely cut short by Flamun's preemptive strike. Almost no Soul Reaper under the rank of Tenth Seat stood a chance in this massacre. Flamun, Agramon, and Torak all attacked so ferociously that their enemies had no chance to react. The only reason that they were still alive was their instinct, or impressive powers in the higher ranking officers' case. That wasn't going to save them if Flamun completed his current action.

Agramon made a ghostly, eerie noise that sounded like the last breathe of a suffering soul that knew nothing but despair but magnified exponentially. The Hollows that were fighting the lower ranked Soul Reapers were called to Agramon's side in an instant, disregarding the opponents that they were combating. They surged into the sky, some with their wings, and others with their mastery of spiritual pressure. These lesser Hollows formed a wall of flesh and bone against all incoming attacks, their combined special abilities nullifying all attacks that were not physical blows. Even those attacks that reached through the barriers and protective shields that the hollows were able to put up were absorbed by the vast amount of Hollows behind the first line of defense. The Captains, some of them casting high level Kido spells, were able to create large holes in the Hollow blockade, but those were sealed up too quickly for the close combat oriented fighters to slip through the openings.

"What the heck are we supposed to do?" Ichigo said, furiously firing off another unnamed Getsuga Tensho, "Kill every single one of them?"

"Look's that way, Ichigo," Ukitake said, retreating from an attempt to get through one of the holes created by their comrades, "Unless we can find some way to flank them, I don't see us getting through their defenses very soon."

"Why don't you allow us to handle that, Captain Ukitake," Soi Fon said, motioning to herself and her quiet Lieutenant, "Backstabbing happens to be our specialty."

The sickly Captain nodded, looking to Daiki and Soi Fon with encouragement in his gaze, "We're counting on you two."

Soi Fon nodded, Daiki offering a silent bow of his hooded head as he quietly followed his Captain in vanishing by Flash Step. The two most accomplished assassin Soul Reapers in the Seireitei were the groups only shot at flanking the amassing enemy. All fights had stopped at this point, even the Vasto Lorde that the Captains had been fighting were called into that massive wall, leaving the battlefield to be strictly divided between the Hollows and the Soul Reapers. Takeshi vehemently charged in again and again, trying with all his enraged might to break through and avenge his only friend's pride and honor. Nel stood beside Takeshi firing Ceros in tandem with her fellow Arrancar with her emotionless battle-mask. There was a hint of worry in her eyes, but not one had the time to even notice such a minute fact, their eyes eternally focused on the wall of bodies. Their frustration and irritation grew, anxiety welling up from no where as they began to feel the sudden change in spiritual pressure.

Like a lower ranked Soul Reaper walking in the presence of a Captain, the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads found maintaining their composure more taxing than normal. The signature of spiritual pressure that represented Flamun was growing more and more as time passed, getting dangerously close to the threshold that made even the Captains be affected by its weight and strength. The oppression that its owner wished for was echoed in its spiritual pressure, the sensation that seemed to want to force the powerful Captains to their knees blanketed the area. Takeshi moved on despite that, wielding a great-axe made from the blackened Hollow bone of his Resurreccion.

Nothing that the Soul Reapers did could get past the Hollows, making all of their efforts seem futile. The Hollows that were dying as a meat shield were doing so to the absolute best of their ability, jumping in front of the attacks thrown at them to help destroy their momentum. They were willingly throwing their lives away, not being commanded by some spell, in order to buy the powerful Vasto Lorde time for his plan. The Captains and Lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads could hardly do a thing to stop them. Even the massive Bankai of Captain Komamura was wasted in attacking them, its massive attacks avoided altogether just before impact by the majority of Hollow.

"You think that those two made it through?" Captain Hitsugaya said, sending an icy slash into the Hollow wall.

"We can only hope," Ukitake said, a grim edge to his tone as they fought.

"DO NOT LOSE FAITH!" The Head Captain bellowed in his commanding tone, the grip on his sword tightening, "We are the strongest in the whole of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads! We cannot fall to some upstart Hollow warlord!"

"Yes, Head Captain!" The Soul Reapers said, some faking enthusiasm that they lacked due to the situation.

The seemingly impenetrable wall of Hollows remained as it was for the next ten minutes, every conceivable attack that was thrown at it being thwarted by one or more of the Hollows' vast array of special abilities. Of course, during this entire time the Hollows weren't just idly negating and defending without a counter strike. Any Hollow that had a form of ranged weaponry was dispatching wave after wave of attack into the lines of Soul Reapers. These Soul Reapers tended to fall at a slower rate than the Hollows, but the masked monsters had numbers on their side, and could afford the losses that they were sustaining for the purpose that they had in mind. The Soul Reapers on the other hand, had their numbers severely damaged in the previous war and could barely withstand more losses than those fallen. Blood coated the streets of the Seireitei, running rivers of crimson through the ruins of the once great military fortress.

Suddenly, upon the impact of another futile strike from the massive giant Bankai of a certain furry Captain, the Hollows split apart and scattered from the attack. The sword of the demon giant slammed into the ground and created a massive cloud of dust. When the smoke cleared, before them was the image of power itself.

The mask that had belonged to Flamun was shaped into a humanoid skull, with twin flames burning in the sockets. His body was almost twice his original size, towering at sixteen feet tall. The muscles that bulged from his frame were so defined and strong that the smallest twitch of the individual sinews could be seen by most of the Soul Reaper audience. Great horns like that of a ram, black as oil, stuck out from the side of that skull. A second set of black horns protruded upwards out of his temples. His claws were hooked and gleaming as if sharpened by his power, the talons on his feet reflecting the same sinister light. A tail with a black spiked spine had grown from his buttocks, the end tipped with a blade-like end, the spikes and blade being the same shade of ebony as the horns and claws of the massive Vasto Lorde. His white skin had turned to a crimson, adorned with black demonic runes. His shins and forearms boasted their enhanced spikes from before this final transformation. The spikes jutting out from his shoulders and knees had remained, the top-knot of hair completely gone. The dome-like bumps on his shins had been replaced with spikes of their own. The skull that made up the Vasto Lorde's face could not show any emotion but through its eyes. A great, maniacal laughter erupted from the jaws, telling a tale of absolute confidence in his strength, and the knowledge that there was nothing that the Soul Reapers could do.

"_**Look at all the bugs before me...**_" The monster spoke, its voice even more layered than that of a Hollow and as demonic as could be, "_**All waiting to be crushed under my feet...**_"

"Don't let it take the initiative!" The Head Captain bellowed, pointing with his flaming Zanpakuto, "Charge! Destroy it and the rest will scatter!"

Suddenly, the world went silent as the sound of thousands of shadow throwing knives sliced through the air. The fiery eyes of the monster their ends were aimed at flickered in moderate surprise. The blades bounced harmlessly away, their trajectories deflected away with god-like reactionary motions from Flamun. A deep laugh resounded from the skull that made up its his face.

Suddenly, the massive figure flickered, as of it were an image on a screen with poor reception.

A butterfly-shaped black marking sprouted from the side of his massive neck, Flamun continued to cackle as the two assassin culprits reappeared from their extraordinary Flash Steps in formation with the other Soul Reapers. He clenched his fist, the appendage igniting in red flames. Those flames rose up his arms towards his bulging biceps, flaring to cover his entire body as soon as they reached his shoulders. The monstrous creature stood in the sky, ablaze with deep red flames and continuing to laugh the entire time his did so. It was then that he raced forwards, not using a Sonido as he charged towards his opponents. At the exact same time, as if it were scripted, the Soul Reapers attacked with all of their might.

The petals of Byakuya Kuchiki's Bankai sliced through his thick skin, blood ejecting momentarily from the wounds to shower the close ranged Soul Reapers before those lacerations would mend. The massive sword of Komamura's giant Bankai was brought down on the Vasto Lorde's shoulder, embedding itself into the chest cavity of the monster almost to its Hollow hole. Daiki's shadow throwing knives were thrown from tens of Flash Step clones, becoming a cascade of black bladed kunai darts. The ice from Rukia's Shikai, and Captain Hitsugaya's Bankai impacted Flamun's feet, weighing him down with their mass. Kenpachi roared with sinister glee, cutting into the beasts gut as Ikkaku, Yumichika, Shuhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira, and Iba all struck the arms with their Shikai. Momo's Shikai fireballs impacted Flamun's shoulder, but was consumed by the flames already on his body. The sound of those attacks at striking at the same time cascaded over the ruined battlefield. Never seeming to have an end, the relentless barrage of ranged and close combat attacks assaulted the Vasto Lorde like a tidal wave of power.

"Raaaaaaaaahhh!" Takeshi roared, sending himself into an enormous double over head strike with a battle axe, followed by an upper cut strike with a bastard sword shape to his blackened blade.

The ground beneath the blow cracked with the power behind that strike, causing a yelp of surprise from the Vasto Lorde victim. The attacks, surprisingly, were having an effect against the massive Hollow. His right arm was almost completely cut away, his abdomen sliced to ribbons. The fires were melting the ice that had been caked onto his legs, but there was a considerable amount of weight still preventing the beast from moving too much. It looked as though there might actually be a chance that the Seireitei was going to survive this battle.

Flamun let loose a monstrous roar, a shock wave of power pushing back every single Soul Reaper that was within slashing range.

The Thirteen Court Guard Squads were panting where they stood, the fatigue of fighting nonstop for half a day only to face off against a being that was able to withstand every single attack hanging over them. It even was able to repel the Soul Reapers with all of its numerous wounds and still have the ability to stand. The Fourth Squad began to heal those Soul Reapers that were still fighting as best they could, healing them enough so that they wouldn't be hindered by their wounds. The only thing that they couldn't heal was the knowledge that their attacks were all doing nothing more than agitating the beast before them.

"Is this all you have to offer Soul Reapers?" Flamun said in a disappointed tone, "Can you do nothing more than wound me?"

The smoke cleared, revealing the monster with a mutilated abdominal cavity and a missing arm with the majority of his remaining arm hanging by a few strands of flesh. The top right of his head and the bottom left of his face had deep cuts from the strikes made by Takeshi, ones that were bleeding heavily. The Soul Reapers stared on as the wounds that the Vasto Lorde had sustained mended nearly instantaneously. New flesh appeared from nowhere, weaving together to form an arm where there was none. The massive gash that separated the creature's arm from its shoulder closed as the laceration on its abdomen sealed shut. The head wounds were closing as well, the sound of flesh moving and mending fulling the air. Soon, it was as if there wasn't a massive, ground shaking attack from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

The first to react was Takeshi, charging head-first into the Vasto Lorde in a full frontal assault. His blackened blade forming into a scythe, he slashed away at the monster's chest with a battle cry. The blade cut through the sides of Flamun's abdomen, his intestines being shredded into pieces. He struck with the knowledge that even the highest regeneration wouldn't be able to heal internal organs as well as it did flesh and bone. Flamun, most likely not realizing this fact in his haze of pride and egoism, opened his eyes wide as he realized this. Before the Vasto Lorde could completely react, the rest of his opponents jumped into action with a torrent of doubly powerful attacks. Flamun yelled in pain, screaming obscenities into the sky.

He blocked almost all of the attacks, the damage that he let get through his defenses only damaging his arms and legs. The ranged attacks were deflected by his bladed forearms, the frontal attacks meeting the same fate. Eventually, he found it necessary to burst into a Sonido, appearing nearly thirty meters away from the group of Soul Reapers. Panting, his wounds healed almost instantly afterwards.

"Cero." He said with no inflection in his voice whatsoever.

Black energy accented by a bright orange erupted from his outstretched had. The massive blast raced towards the massive group with tremendous speed, obliterating the ground below it. The eyes of the Soul Reapers widened, the sheer size of the attack eclipsing all of their power in that moment. Suddenly, just before impact, Nel appeared before them with her mouth agape. Takeshi knew exactly what it was that she was trying to do, and raced towards her with all of his might.

"Takeshi...?" Nel said, confused.

The neutral expression that was on her face was shattered when Takeshi knocked her aside from where she stood, taking the full brunt of the attack with his guard down. The resulting blinding light and mushroom cloud looked as if a nuclear blast had gone off. The skeletons of the buildings were all that remained on the ground within a hundred meter radius. Ashes fell from the sky like snow, fluttering down gracefully among the scorched corpses of the Seireitei. Those that were unlucky enough to have their eyes open during that attack were rendered blind for the next few minutes, holding their eyes in pain as they stood with their guards down. Others were smart enough to block their faces and close their eyes, forgoing the blindness almost entirely. Though, none but the deaf could escape the sound of the explosion for miles, and all had felt it in their very souls.

Takeshi dropped from the sky like a shooting star, plummeting towards the ground as gravity took over. Nel appeared from a Sonido, catching the burly Arrancar before he could strike the dirt for the umpteenth time that day.

"Silly Takeshi..." Nel said, tears coming to her eyes, "Idiot...You could've just told me to move...You didn't have to..."

"Y-you wouldn't...have listened," Takeshi said, coughing up blood and holding his stomach, "You woulda tried to...eat all of it...I couldn't take the chance that it was too much for your body...to take..."

"Stubborn to the last..." Nel said, shaking her head as she let the Arrancar down onto the ground.

Ichigo looked around, his Bankai's black blade gleaming, "What are we gonna do?"

"Kill that thing even if it kills us," Soi Fon growled, appearing from a Flash Step with Daiki in tow.

"If only it was as easy as you made it sound, Captain Soi Fon," Kumamora said with a shake of his head, "But if that thing had the ability to take down something like Takeshi in one shot, what could we do to stop him?"

"I need to hit him in the same place as my first strike to deal a fatal blow," Soi Fon said, "Is there anyway that you can all give me enough of a distraction to do that?"

"We'll see what we can do..." Ukitake said, "But a good amount of our lower ranked Soul Reapers were incapacitated from that blast. We may not have much time before we suffer too many casualties."

"Don't you think we know that, Jushiro?" Shunsui said with a sigh, "You gotta at least sugar coat it a little bit."

Ukitake smiled, shrugging, "Sorry, old friend."

The Soul Reapers turned towards the Vasto Lorde, setting their expressions to ones exuding concentration and anger. Flamun charged without warning, claws ablaze with sinister flames. But in addition to that attack, the remaining Hollows that were in the back ground also attacked the last remnant of the Seireitei. A swarm of Hollows of all size, class, and strength surged towards the Soul Reapers with a mighty roar.

The first to fall was those that were in the very front, their weapons taken from them in a massive power stroke that would have torn them to shreds without any trouble had they been unarmed. The next were those that had been blinded by the Cero's blast, some of them even including Captains, their blood flung into the air as they fell to the ground. The rest of the group was blown away by the power of the strikes that were used to attack the first two lines. Nel was still attending to Takeshi as this happened, and made sure that his barely conscious body wasn't hurt.

This just so happened to result in Takeshi's face to be smothered by Nel's ample chest, not that the Arrancar was going to complain.

Regardless, half of the forces that were in opposition of the Vasto Lorde were incapacitated. The remaining Hollows continued to attack the Soul Reapers as the Vasto Lorde began to allow his wounds to heal themselves. The wounds that were underneath his skin were not going to heal much at all, but were just under the lethal threshold. He had sustained only blunt force trauma to his head, so there was no danger of his life ending as a result of brain damage. That didn't change the fact that he was under attack from the best that the Seireitei had to offer. Even something like him wasn't able to withstand that sort of onslaught and remain unscathed.

Slashes and projectiles cascaded down onto his body with sinister efficiency. The air grew thick with the spiritual pressure of those attacks, making the lesser Soul Reapers find breathing harder than usual. The Hollows that he had sent to attack the Soul Reapers were all but defeated at this point, a good amount of Soul Reapers along with them. All that really remained was the Third Seats and those above them for the respective squads. Every single one of them held a grim expression, the knowledge of the extensiveness of this monster's power heavy on their shoulders. They gripped their swords tighter, the power welling up inside their blades.

Nel remained on the ground, shielding Takeshi from the frightening battle overhead. She looked on as the remaining Soul Reapers surged forwards once again, their attacks preceding them as many fired both offensive and binding Kido into the Vasto Lorde. The ranged type Shikai were racing towards Flamun as well, mingling with the Kidos as they honed in on their target. The air was alight with the many different colors and hues of those attacks, their combined strength unimaginable. The sky was burning with spiritual power, the absolute gravity of the attack's strength could be felt for miles.

Flamun, panting from his wounds, started to form another Cero. The expression that he was showing in his flaming eyes was one of pride and power, showing his arrogance even in the face of such overwhelming strength. The Cero began to spin, rolling along a horizontal axis at high speeds. Nel was able to tell because she was so close to the Vasto Lorde, and she frankly couldn't believe her eyes. The spherical shape of the Cero began to flatten out. The dark, almost black-red spiritual pressure that made up the Cero slowly formed into something akin to a discus. It went from its original size of a normal human's chest cavity to that of Flamun's whole body within the span of a few seconds as it picked up speed. Soon, just in time for the ranged attacks of the Soul Reaper offensive, the Cero had formed into a rotating shield that would block all forms of ranged attack. The Kido and projectiles were disintegrated into oblivion upon touching the massive Cero shield.

The Soul Reapers had no choice but to attack the Vasto Lorde, despite their surprise at the new use of the Cero's power. The blades, spiritual pressures, and the second wave of Kidos broke through that shield however. Through the momentary gap where Flamun's opponents hung in mid air after his shield shattered, Flamun burst into an ultra-fast Sonido. Taking a page from Soi Fon and Daiki in their use of the Flash Step, Flamun split into three separate images. A deep laugh resounded from within his chest as he attacked the stunned Soul Reaper ranks.

The Soul Reapers instinctively went on guard, their battle-sense telling that the Vasto Lorde was about to use some massive attack. Their instincts proven, Flamun's three images disappeared and reappeared almost instantaneously in front of Jushiro Ukitake. The Captains to his right, Shunsui Kyoraku, was blown away from the impact of Flamun's strikes from three different directions upon Ukitake. The Vasto Lorde had conjured up three Ceros, one for each speed clone, and had sent them all at the same time. The knowledge of the white-haired Captain's Shikai allowed Flamun to overload it with the multiple and unblock-able beams. Eyes rolled into the back of his head, Ukitake fell from the sky in a smoke trail with his swords not far behind him.

"Jushiro!" Shunsui yelled, a hand reaching down futile after his friend from where he had landed.

"He's still alive, Captain Kyoraku," Captain Unohana said from behind, as she lifted him up by the arms, "I'll have some of my best Soul Reapers heal him, but you have to focus on the enemy at hand."

"R-Right," He said, his straw hat lowering to cover his eyes from view.

During that time, Flamun had been in combat with two Lieutenants. Lieutenants Shuhei and Kira were in close combat with Flamun, whom was being torn to ribbons by the twin pinwheel blades of Kizeshini and the weight of Wabisuke's multiple attacks. Flamun, however, easily overcame the powers of Wabisuke through his strength, and healed his wounds far faster than Lieutenant Hisagi could make them. The two Soul Reapers fell just as Ukitake had, smoke marking their descent into the ruble below.

The next to charge in were Lieutenants Renji, Nanao, and Captain Kumamora. The massive demon giant that the furry Captain commanded brought down its massive sword, the sharp blade cleaving through the air as it raced for its target.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji yelled, his Bankai's snake head opening to fire a Cero-like beam from its mouth.

"Hado No. 31 Shakkaho!" The Lieutenant of Squad Eight yelled, having finished an incantation under her breath on the way there, firing the red flaming Kido into the Vasto Lorde's chest.

The two blasts reached the Vasto Lorde before the blade of the Captain's Bankai could, and a massive smoke cloud appeared as a result of the explosions. Just as the image of Flamun vanished into the smoke, the blade chased him into its embrace. The Seireitei was quiet, the remaining Soul Reapers looking on with their guard still up while the three that had been in the most recent attack continuing to fire into the cloud while Kumamora retrieved his sword. Suddenly, blood gushed from Kumamora's chest, a neat circle in his stomach and back. The Cero that had been fired from the smoke cloud, erasing the dust as a result, had struck home on the same spot upon the giant's stomach. The weakness of the Captain's Bankai exploited, Flamun only had to fire another Cero into his chest to finish the job. The massive Bankai fell on its back with its master, vanishing as the furry Captain lost consciousness from the attack. All of this had happened while Renji and Nanao had been firing their respective attacks.

Suddenly, the two Soul Reapers that were attacking from afar were blown from an unseen explosion.

The eyes of the Squad Eight Captain widened in a sudden rush of fear, "Nanao! Nanao!"

The pained expression that his Lieutenant held as she fell from the sky set the Captain off.

Flamun noticed, it seemed, as he spoke, "Was that your little toy doll I just killed? You want to join her, Flower Kimono?"

Before the Captain could even respond, a Cero erupted from the Vasto Lorde's hand.

"Bushōgoma." The Captain uttered.

The large wind blades of the Shikai ability dispelled the Cero.

"What..?" Flamun asked, seemingly to himself, "Now you decide to use something like that? When I've been using it to destroy your allies?"

"...She's a fickle one, my Zanpakuto," Shunsui said, his eyes shadowed by his hat as he vanished in a Flash Step, reappearing to catch his Lieutenant before she hit the ground, "I can only fight at full strength when the mood strikes her. Seems she agrees with me on something for once...You gotta fall, big guy."

Flamun blinked as the Captain disappeared again after placing his Lieutenant on the ground after covering her with his beloved pink flower kimono.

"Takaoni," He appeared above the Vasto Lorde, his swords drawn. Bringing his smaller sword down to negate Flamun's instinctive defense, he struck at a small opening with his larger blade.

A small cut that was made by his smaller sword and a slightly larger cut from his other sword gushed far too much blood for wounds such as theirs. Flamun blinked, revelation striking him as he Sonido'ed back away from the Captain as his wounds would heal. The Captain appeared again above, eyes still hidden from view as he attacked with horizontal blows to throw off his opponent. Flamun created a small, very precise pair of Cero shields where the blades were to strike. Shunsui grunted as his attacks were repelled. Flamun reached out an grabbed the Captain with a flaming clawed hand and ripped him down below him.

Having seen that the Vasto Lorde had already figured out the game, the Captain vanished before he could be met by a counter attack by the viscous Vasto Lorde.

"I see you've already figured out that the one higher has the advantage..." The laid-back Captain said, as if to himself, "Figures, I suppose. You are the one that has gotten the closest to destroying the Seireitei after all, so I shouldn't under estimate you then. Irooni: White."

Vanishing once again, Captain Kyoraku reappeared behind the Vasto Lorde with both of his blades in its back. The white skin was ripped apart by the Shikai-enhanced blow by the Captain of Squad Eight. Stabbing again for good measure, Flamun found himself falling form the sky with the sudden amount of power behind the blows. Though it was for a few seconds, they had finally broken through his defense and caught him off guard. Hados from all different sources, as well as projectiles from some Soul Reaper Shikai raced towards the stunned Vasto Lorde. The resulting explosion rocked the ruins of the Seireitei, the impact of the body of such a large Vasto Lorde monster sending shock waves through the rubble. The Soul Reapers looked on, sensing that the Vasto Lorde still had some fight left in him.

Judging that he was using this lull in the fighting to recover with his ultra high speed regeneration, Head Captain Yamamoto bellowed, "Now! Fire the most powerful attack within your ability before he recovers!"

"Yes, Head Captain!" The Thirteen Court Guard Squads responded with the same volume.

A meteor shower of over ten Hado spells, as well as the projectiles from the remaining Soul Reapers, cascaded from up high into the power signature of the Vasto Lorde. The resulting shock wave was one of the larger of the day of bloodshed and warfare. The attacks continued, the Head Captain not giving any motion to stop the offensive. He himself had released a collection of high tiered Kido into the Vasto Lorde. Others began to send binding Kido into the dust cloud, in a hope that whatever was left of the Vasto Lorde would be unable to mount a counter-offensive. Two or three minutes later, the Head Captain slowly raised an open palm towards his forces in a signal to halt their fire.

Just then, a massive pillar of spiritual pressure pierced the sky and dyed it in the color of blood. Unable to comprehend how he was able to withstand such an onslaught, the Soul Reapers most likely didn't realize that Shunsui's Haori was now dyed in that same color. Eyes wide, Shunsui slowly turned to find the smoking skull mask of Flamun staring into his soul with flaming eyes. The mask was now ablaze with hell-fire, the smoke from the attacks he had just taken streaming from wounds that were already healed. He looked as though he were a demon that had risen from a lake of molten lava, his claws ripping out of Captain Kyoraku's body where it had entered through the Captain's Haori. One of the few weaknesses of the Captain's Shikai, the fact that it's power applied to the wielder as well as its opponent, exploited, Flamun began to laugh evilly. Shunsui Flash Stepped away, reappearing before the waiting Fourth Squad with a wound that seemed almost mortal.

"I'm sorry, little Nanao..." He muttered to himself.

"Who's next?!" Flamun yelled, continuing to laugh, "Who will be the next to fall?!"

"You will be the next to fall!" Came the yell from Ikkaku Madarame, followed by Yumichika.

Flamun looked towards the pair, his laughter ceasing, "Please, I require more than just you two for a worthy challenge."

"So be it!" Yelled Iba, as Lieutenant Hinamori followed close behind.

"They wont be taking all the fun from me!" Yelled Kenpachi as he raced to beat all those who'd raced forwards, "Ain't no one's taking this guy away from me!"

Flamun conjured a small blood red ball, a bala, and shot it at Iba and Hinamori. Then another at Ikkaku and Yumichika, the sinister glow tailing behind the ball of energy. Soon thereafter, he fired a seemingly infinite amount of balas in an omni-directional offensive. The Soul Reapers put up their guards, be it Kido based or with their Zanpakuto, as the explosive balls of erasing energy slammed into their forces. Flamun began his maniacal laughter once again as destruction was sewn in all directions. Nel protected Takeshi's unconscious body from the barrage, absorbing some of them into her mouth before returning them to their owner.

One of those returned Ceros made it through the onslaught, splashing onto the chest of the Vasto Lorde. Staggered, the monster halted his attacks briefly, and the Soul Reapers wasted no time in resuming their attacks before another bala attack could stop them. The first to attack was Kenpachi Zaraki, as had been the case for the last few offensives. His serrated and chipped sword slicing through the air, then into the flesh of the Vasto Lorde's abdomen. The rest of the swordsmen of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads suddenly halted their offensive, staring on as the Eleventh Squad Captain began to cackle with sadistic excitement.

"Are you the next idiot to attack me one on one?" Flamun laughed, coughing up blood from the first strike by the spiky haired Captain.

Kenpachi looked at the Vasto Lorde with a confused expression, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think that it's supposed to mean?" Flamun said, starting to get aggravated with the questions in the middle of a fight.

Kenpachi swung his blade wildly, almost catching the Vasto Lorde's arm in its arc, "I'm fightin' ya because I want to, stupid! Of course I'd save this for myself! This would be borin' if anyone else go tin on the action!"

"You're too much like my former master to be kept alive..." Flamun said, almost under his breath.

Kenpachi attacked with his blade once again, a massive grin plastered on his face like a madman. Flamun dodged, slashing the Eleventh Captain in the chest. Thinking that he would block, he didn't put too much force behind the strike, putting more energy into the second strike meant to break the expected defense. Since that didn't happen, Flamun was left open to a sword blow. The steel impaled Flamun's gut, the serrated and chipped edges ripping and tearing flesh as it was sheathed in the Vasto Lorde's body.

Coughing up blood, with a surprised expression, Flamun grit his teeth and shot a Cero at point blank range on the Captain before him. The erasing beam was knocked severely off course by Kenpachi accidentally ripping his sword out of the Vasto Lorde's chest at just the right time. Entrails marked the blades path through the air as Kenpachi slashed the air to rid his blade of the gore it had just created. Flamun's beam shot off into the distance the light of the horizon darkening before reviving as it went further and further away. A monstrous explosion erupted miles and miles away, the mushroom cloud visible to all in the Seireitei.

"Must be hard to fight without a weapon, eh?" Kenpachi laughed, "Those claws look enough like swords to me."

"Enough talk," Flamun said, nearly growling, "You will be defeated, Soul Reaper. That much is certain."

"Fine by me," Kenpachi chuckled, "Talking makes the fight boring."

Kenpachi swung from below in an uppercutting motion. Flamun's head shot up, the tip of Kenpachi's blade nicking the edge of his chin as he back flipped to dodge the attack. Firing a bala as he began to right himself in the air, Flamun pushed off the ground to race forwards with his claws flaming. A fist connected with his jaw, Kenpachi torquing to shoot the body of the Vasto Lorde sideways with a massive blow. Caught off guard, not having to fight an opponent with such brutal methods since his old master, Flamun rocketed to the right.

Suddenly, the Vasto Lorde vanished from sight. The audience of Soul Reapers, as well as the one fighting the beast, looked to and fro for Flamun's image. Sensing was useless with all the massive power signatures around and near the signature of their opponent, making it all but impossible to pinpoint his location, not even including the fact that he was now in the middle of a Sonido.

Yamamoto's brow furrowed, concentrating on what to command his Soul Reapers to do next. He grunted slightly in concentration, trying to ascertain the situation before him. Just as he was about to command his forces, something slammed into the back of his head. The tremendous impact echoing as the rest of the Seireitei realized its origin, the Head Captain fell unconscious from the chop from Flamun. The strike precise and direct, no physical body would have been able to stop from blacking out is it had com in contact with the blow.

"Master!" Screamed Ukitake

"Old Man Yama!" croaked Shunsui Kyoraku

"Head Captain!" Said the majority of the remnant of the Seireitei.

"Ah, I'm glad I could take that geezer out before he wised up..." Flamun said, shaking his head as he let the dense body of the Head Captain fall at his feet to the ground, "I guess I have you weaklings for the constant distractions. Without all those attempts at attacking me made the old man concentrate too much on what I was doing and not what was around him. Now, the fun part..."

"You...have got to be kidding me..." Daiki muttered under his breath, "How many more times am I going to have to deal with these things..."

Blood red flames engulfed the entire being that was Flamun, setting his pale marked skin alight. The air grew all the more dense, oppressing the Lieutenant level Soul Reapers to the point of paralysis. The Captains felt the weight of the being's spiritual pressure, and found it hard to breathe for the first time in ages. The two Captains that had known the Head Captain the longest had a sickening sense of nostalgia from that feeling. A feeling that the two of them had felt when they fought their master during the invasion lead by Ichigo all those years ago. The feeling of fear just by the mass of spiritual pressure that they were feeling, of the inability to think straight for a second as they adjusted to the spiritual pressure that the Vasto Lorde was outputting. The rest of the Soul Reapers were staring on in wonder as the Vasto Lorde was gaining strength that seemed to come from nowhere at all.

"Don't tell me he was fighting all of us off without even using his full power..." Omaeda said in the background, voicing the thought process of most of the remaining Soul Reapers.

"Now that the old man is out of the picture, I can slaughter everyone!" Said the Vasto Lorde, elated as all could be.

"The thing's a monster!"

"It's mine!" Kenpachi yelled with joy, his sword following him as he raced for the pillar of blood red spiritual pressure.

"Could that guy get any more predictable?" Daiki muttered into his scarf.

The Captain of the Eleventh Squad surged forwards with a massive swing of his sword, one that connected to the skin of the Vasto Lorde. The body of Flamun rocketed back from the impact, shattering some of the Soul Reaper's expectations for the attack to have no effect. Though there was no damage, the Captain was able to knock around the Vasto Lorde opponent. Flamun grunted, more out of annoyance than pain, as he closed his hand into a fist. Punching the air before him, a fire ball about the size of Kenpachi's chest cavity spawned and shot along an arc aimed at the Soul Reaper in question.

The impact of the fire ball was followed by a cloud of black smoke. From within that cloud of black smoke, a massive tower of spiritual pressure erupted like a volcano into the sky. The cackle of glee that came from the yellow pillar was none other than Kenpachi Zaraki, his eye-patch having been removed in the explosion. Slashing before him, Flamun looked down to see that his stomach was cut from the motion with widened eyes. Before he could move, Kenpachi was already racing towards him with his sword primed for attack. Flamun grabbed the crazed Soul Reaper's wrist, stopping his momentum while also slamming his elbow into the Captain's stomach. Coughing up blood from the blow, also being impaled by the Vasto Lorde's spiked elbow in the process. Shifting, Flamun slammed the massive Soul Reaper on to his spiked knee cap in the exact spot that he had skewered him on his elbow. Coughing up even more blood, Kenpachi grinned as his spiritual pressure began to rise all the more. Killer intent reaching the Vasto Lorde through is power, he stared at the Soul Reaper Captain with annoyance.

"What are you made of? Armor in skin form?" Flamun said, trying to wound the beast of a Soul Reaper before he could get in another few good blows with that wicked sword of his. "You should have been dead a long time ago."

"That's what they all say, but I'm still here," Kenpachi laughed. "Now fight me like your life depends on it! Only one of us is gonna survive this!"

Kenpachi charged forwards, lashing out with his sword over and over again. Flamun parried and blocked with his flaming claws, being pushed back by the might of the Soul Reaper Captain. Sustaining wounds from the counter attacks, Kenpachi's chest slowly began to collect wounds that should have been fatal. Blood marked the path that the pair were taking, the Vasto Lorde starting to feel pressured for the first time during the fight other than when he went up against Takeshi. He continued to slice into the massive Captain, his strikes becoming more and more frantic as he tried in vain to slow the Soul Reaper down.

Finally, Kenpachi slowed, then stopped. His neck had sustained a massive wound that seemed to almost cut to his neck. Blood gushing from that wound, Soul Reaper resilience keeping the severity of the wound at bay, Kenpachi touched a hand to his neck.

"Crap, looks like I really should be more careful," Kenpachi said, his voice almost monotone as he looked at his bloodied hand.

"Yeah, you should," Flamun said, firing a massive at the being's center mass.

Stunned from the wound and blood loss, Kenpachi soared back into a high tower from the Squad One Barracks with a mighty crash.

"Kenny!" Yachiru said with a worried voice, "Kenny, are you okay!?"

"I'm jus' gonna res' for a bit..." Kenpachi uttered before losing consciousness.

The rest of the Soul Reapers didn't have time to look on as the mighty Captain was knocked out of the action. They were too busy fending off the other attacks by the massive Vasto Lorde, the blasts echoing through the sky. The Ceros and Balas that Flamun were putting out were slamming into the fatigued and weakened Soul Reapers. The barrage was taking out Lieutenants left and right, missing only those that knew to dodge at exceptional speed or who still commanded the energy to block. Their power was finally beginning to overwhelm the Thirteen Court Guard Squads' finest, their bodies falling from the sky until only a handful remained.

Byakuya, Rukia, Ichigo, Daiki, and Soi Fon were all that remained, all of them having both sustained the least amount f injuries from their previous fights as well as dodged the majority of Flamun's attacks up until now. Now that there was only five of the twenty-six original cast of Captains and Lieutenants, Flamun's overconfidence and power could only grow. His power was like fire, Takeshi had explained not too long ago, and would grow the more it was fed by his emotions. His overconfidence was what gave him that immense power, and it was out of control now that his victory was almost within reach. The Vasto Lorde started to chuckle, bursting out into a full blown heaving laughter that rang with killer intent.

"The once mighty Seireitei is in shambles," Flamun said, his flaming eyes flickering with glee, "And all that remains are five weakened Soul Reapers with half their spiritual pressure gone. I couldn't ask for a better outcome!"

The remaining Soul Reapers looked at one another, looks of concern crossing their face. Byakuya's Shikai was fluttering through the air, along with the ribbon of Rukia's Shikai and the flickering flame like spiritual pressure of Daiki's shadow throwing knives. Ichigo's hand twitched with the thought of pulling on his Hollow mask. Soi Fon's small Shikai gleamed, its master's eyes trained on the butterfly mark on Flamun's neck. The Soul Reapers were taking deep breaths, trying not to look at the piles of incapacitated Squad members or the smoking ruins of the Seireitei. The fact that the Vasto Lorde had in fact defeated the overwhelming majority of the strongest that they had to offer hanging over their heads as they gripped their weapons.

"So whats the plan?" Daiki asked, his hooded head turning towards the three Captains and Lieutenant.

"We obviously can't win against it in a straight frontal assault," Soi Fon said, turning towards her Lieutenant, "But a sneak attack will only work once with a big enough distraction. I doubt his guard will be let down enough for me to strike with Suzumebachi on his neck the second time."

"Yes," Byakuya said, looking off away from the conversation, "His defenses are annoyingly thorough..."

"We need to take this guy down!" Ichigo exclaimed, gritting his teeth, "This has gone on for too long."

"Calm down, Ichigo," Rukia said, shaking her head, "I know that this has to be driving you up the wall, but you can't lose your cool here. One misstep, and this guy'll destroy you before you can get away."

"Captains," Daiki said, bowing, "May I make a humble suggestion?"

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Soi Fon said, turning towards the hooded Soul Reaper.

"Would using your respective Bankai help the situation at all?" Daiki said, aiming the statement at Byakuya and his own Captain with the knowledge that the two didn't like to use their Bankai all that much.

Soi Fon touched a hand to her chin. "My Bankai wouldn't exactly help with the situation. I'd just level the entire Seireitei with it..."

"I've already used my Bankai, Lieutenant," Bykakuya said, showing that his sword had indeed scattered into sakura petals.

The long black blade of Ichigo's Bankai was in full view, along with his trenchcoat-like Shihakusho and similarly altered Captain's Haori, so the carrot-top Soul Reaper didn't need to say it aloud. However, the Captain of Squad Five did turn towards the Lieutenant of Squad Two with a questioning look, "What about you, Daiki?"

"My Bankai?" The hooded assassin Soul Reaper said, "There isn't enough...darkness for mine to work."

"'Darkness'?" The Captains echoed, Soi Fon continuing, "You picked a heck of a time to drop a hint like that, Lieutenant..."

"Are you all done having your pep talk?" Flamun laughed, "I think its about time that you fell. My victory will be forever engraved in your history books, I trust, Head of the Kuchiki Clan?"

"How dare you speak to my brother like that!" Rukia growled, crouching for an attack.

"Rukia," Byakuya said calmly, "Calm yourself. Do not let the insolence of this creature transfer to you."

"...Yes, Brother, I'm sorry," Rukia said, gritting her teeth and rising.

Before there was a chance for the Soul Reapers to begin their assault, Flamun made the first move. Surging towards the remnant of the Seireitei, Ceros preceding his charge. The Soul Reapers dodged, the multitude of the attacks forcing them to all use their exceptional Flash Steps. One struck Rukia on the edge of her Shihakusho's sleeve, the heat from the blast nearly burning her skin. Ichigo charged forwards, his black spiritual pressure welling up onto his blade for his trademark attack. The rest of the Soul Reapers covered the carrot top, sending wave after wave of ranged and Kido attacks to bind the Vasto Lorde as well as deflect his attacks. With Flamun already charging towards them, the two met halfway in a massive explosion.

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo roared, bringing down the black daito on his opponent.

"Cero," Flamun said without much emotion at all.

The blast clashed with the Getsuga-infuzed blade of the Soul Reaper Captain, a massive explosion coating the area. The other Soul Reapers didn't waste anytime in waiting for the dust cloud to clear, using their ability to sense spiritual pressure to find the Vasto Lorde in the chaos. Byakuya sent his petal blades surging towards the signature, while Daiki used the endless shadow blades of his Shikai the fire at where his best guess of critical points were.

"Hado No. 33: Sokatsui," Rukia said with a cold voice, the pale fire racing towards the Vasto Lorde.

Soi Fon vanished from sight, a similarly sized hole in the dust cloud appearing where she Flashed forwards, her Shikai pulled back the killing blow.

"You little...!" Flamun's growling voice was void of that confidence, replaced by anger that shook the air around him.

The smoke cleared, revealing the battered Vasto Lorde as his wounds began to heal. Smoke where Rukia had fired her Kido, the lacerations that were made by Byakuya, and the shadowy hilts of Daiki's blades that jutted out of critical points were easily seen from where the Soul Reapers were. As the wounds mended, the anger that was laced through Flamun's spiritual pressure had not healed. The Vasto Lorde had begun to pant. Though he had tried to hide it, the last few volleys of strikes and attacks had gravely wounded him and left his internal organs in a sorry state. Being gutted over and over again, having his arms and legs blown off repeatedly had finally caught up to the great and powerful monster. With his wounds, it would take him a good while to heal properly, or a great meal to help along the process. It was written all over the Vasto Lorde's spiritual pressure that he wanted to devour the thousands of Soul Reapers that were helplessly watching from the ground with broken swords and bodies. If he did that however, the Vasto Lorde would leave himself wide open to attack from behind while facing two of the best assassins in existence. One of those assassins also had a weapon that merely needed to hit him in one of the tens of butterfly marks on his body to end him permanently.

That left the Vasto Lorde only one option, and that would be to obliterate the Soul Reapers before him before the did just that to him. He disappeared from sight, appearing a split second later before Ichigo. If one was watching from Ichigo's back, they would have seen a taloned hand burst from the sleeveless Captain's Haori, just under the Kanji for five.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, eyes widening with worry and fear for her husband.

"R...Rukia..." Ichigo coughed up a frightening amount of blood onto the Vasto Lorde that had impaled him.

Disengaging his hand from the Captain's gut, Flamun sneered as he brought down his hands together in a double ax-hand strike to the back of the carrot top's neck. With a painful groan, Ichigo plummeted into the ground with a massive crash. Tears threatening to well up in her indigo eyes, Rukia forced herself to look at the Vasto Lorde that had impaled her love, her grip tightening on her sword as the monster surged towards her.

Just before the claws of the Vasto Lorde could force the petite Lieutenant to face the same fate as her Captain, a wall of sakura petal blades deflected the strike.

Flamun glared at the stoic Captain of Squad Six, "You want to be next, Soul Reaper?"

"I will not let you harm my pride in front of me," The man said coldly, clenching his hand into a fist in a command to the petals of his Bankai so that they formed a sphere around the Vasto Lorde, "Your disgraceful existence ends here, Hollow."

"You think this barrier can..." Flamun began, but was cut off by Byakuya's cold tone.

"Gokei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

The pink sphere of dancing blades engulfed the Vasto Lorde, slamming into him from all directions with no hope for escape. The resulting explosion forced the remnant of Soul Reapers to Flash away before they could be caught in the blast. The air went quiet, a body falling from the place where Flamun was. A trail of sakura petals marked where the Vasto Lorde plummeted, a small crash sounding as it landed. Daiki and Soi Fon were the first to arrive back from the strategic retreat. They looked across the battlefield, the part of the Seireitei that had been the stage for the biggest battle yet was flattened and pock-marked with craters. Byakuya and Rukia arrived next, standing next to the Punishment Force's finest as they tried to spot the body that belonged to Flamun.

The ground started to rubble, the pebbles and small debris trembling where they sat. Daiki materialized a shadow knife in each hand, Soi Fon readying her Shikai. Byakuya and Rukia mirrored them, looking around for the source of the disturbance. The world was suddenly basked in a bright light.

"What the...!?" Daiki muttered, his eyes flicking left and right.

A massive pillar of spiritual pressure filled the area circumventing the Soul Reapers, reaching ten meters out in every direction. The five of them were slammed with the power, every single emotion that a cornered animal would feel was laced through the spiritual pressure. Of course, the spiritual pressure also happened to be a Cero that was fired directly under the Soul Reapers. Their guard having been lowered from the apparent victory that the five had achieved, none of them could react fast enough to the mega-Cero that Flamun had somehow discharged below them. As if he had saved most of his power for that attack, the Cero was enough to all but ignore the defenses that the Soul Reapers put up in instinctual response to the attack. None of them were able to escape any real damage either, and began to fall.

"I...I've won!" Flamun screamed as the last of the Soul Reapers slammed into the ground with a sickening thud. "I've defeated the entire Seiretei! Though I will admit, it did take all of the Hollows at my disposal to win...but no matter! Soon, this world will be nothing but ashes! This is what you deserve for taking away my master and turning him against us!"

"You...haven't won...idiot..." Takeshi stuttered, barely conscious but with a wicked smile on his face.

Flamun laughed as his wounds began to heal, "Of course I have! There is no one left to defeat me in the universe!"

"Wrong...You forgot one important, little white-haired hybrid..." Takeshi said, his grin remaining even after a bloody coughing fit.

"You mean Subject 23, the illustrious Misami?" Flamun laughed, "I left her to be tortured since a day or two ago. She broke within the first few minutes once I started. Oh! Here's an idea! Since she was the reason why you betrayed us, impostor, why don't I bring you there so that you can watch her die painfully? IT'll be a reward for surviving my strongest attack without getting obliterated. It's why I left the wench alive anyways!"

"Stupid fool..." Takeshi said, starting to laugh maniacally like he always did. "What was the first thing that I taught you?"

"Why you...!?" Flamun begun to say, just as the sound of a Garganta ripped through his ears.

A rush of spiritual pressure, laced with darkness itself, slammed into the senses of all those still conscious. There was no pillar marking this signature, just the lone figure of a small white haired girl. Clad in Espada-like clothes, the twin tails of her scarf flapping in the wind with the hem of her sleeveless haori and white hair, there stood a menacing figure that had an aura of pure anger. Flamun, still unflinching but cautious, turned towards the familiar figure. His flaming eyes flared in surprise at the realization that it was just the being that he was talking about. Her blue eyes seemed to burn fiercely with anger, like two sapphire flames. The hilts of her swords shone where they were white, and seemed to seethe where they were black. The markings on her scabbards were pulsing with power, the Espada-font "23" on her right upper arm could be seen clear as day. Her lips were lax, emotionless with a slight downturn that made her expression all the more menacing as she looked down at the Seireitei below her. The gaze of the girl shifted and focused on the Vasto Lorde that had caused it all.

"Flamun," Misami said, making the disbelieving monster flinch, "I'm going to kill you."

"...The very first thing that I taught you," Takeshi said with a rueful smile, "Was to never play with your food."

Misami drew her blades, her entire body engulfed in a mixture of black and white flames. The air grew dense, and the flames exploded upwards. Those that were still awake from the fighting felt their hearts sink into their feet with the oppressive weight that came from Misami's spiritual pressure. The Vasto Lorde, close to about ten percent of his power with the damage that he had taken from the fighting, could feel the strength and ire from the spiritual pressure of his former puppet. It was as if she were lacing the very air with the essence of darkness. Despair, desolation, tribulation, horror all floated through the air and through those that could still stay conscious. Those lower ranked Soul Reapers, whom had grown to hate the white haired Kuchiki for betraying them and their trust found themselves trembling with terror at the arrival of the Hollow-Soul Reaper hybrid. The Hollows that remained, which were really nothing much at all, started to step back away from the presence of the girl. Instinctively knowing that something bad was about to happen, those that could move started to move the more damaged comrades of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

"How...how could you...?" Flamun said, his fire-eyes trained on the petite white haired Death God.

Misami wordlessly moved her hands to the respective grips of her Zanpakuto. The metal shined with killer intent, the same light that came from the girls eyes that shimmered into the afternoon sky. Slowly drawing out the blades, she didn't take her eyes off of the Vasto Lorde that had the appearance of a demon king. The white wrappings on the hilts, and the similarly colored markings on her scabbards shone. As if responding to the will of their master, the twin blades glistened in preparation. The next instant, the blades were flipped around to be held in a reverse grip, trained on the white-haired girl's stomach. Before anyone had a guess as to what she was about to do, the blades plunged into the her stomach as if they had their own mind. Blood gushed out and the sound of Misami's pained grunt filled the still air. Eyes widened, minds blank with confusion as the world watched the girl.

As suddenly as this action, the blood that was gushing out of the Soul Reaper's stomach began to crawl up her swords' blades until the were both covered.

The world went black, as if the sun had never existed. Every being present found themselves unable to see their hand in front of their face. The world was coated in oily, absolute shadow.

"**Bankai. Hikari no Daten-shi,**" Was all anyone could hear among their own terror. (Translation: Fallen Angel of Light)

The darkness receded, pulling back like an oil spill in reverse. What it went back to was a terrifying sight.

There stood Misami Kuchiki, her white Espada-themed clothes turned back into black. The midriff was all but destroyed by the release of the power, displaying a pale and toned stomach and the three massive scars from her encounters with the Hollows. Demon like markings on her arms adorned her skin, the Espada "23" untouched and easily read. The tattered cloth of her haori and the twin tails of her scarf blew in the wind with her long white hair. Misami's left eye was now glowing crimson, the as if blood were glowing inside her iris. The scabbards were gone, along with the slash and waist wrappings that were supposed to hold them in place. Misami's arms had black gantlets, her shins adorned in greaves, and had a single shoulder pad on her left side. Tattered strings of the black wrappings on her arms had loosened and wrapped themselves around those gantlets.

The weapons that she had held were now not even present, replaced by sword-shaped blades of pure spiritual pressure. Her shadow blade was black as oil, and her light sword was the same color as the purest of snow, both masses of power flickering in the slight breeze like fire. Great, black feathered wings opened from her back at least twelve to thirteen feet across. The expression that Misami wore was as piercing as the sharpest blade.

"This that it?" Flamun said, panting from his wounds, "I've fought much more elaborate Bankai all at the same time and still won!"

Misami ignored him and lifted up her white 'sword', aiming it at the Vasto Lorde, "Kurenjingu-sen." (Translation: Cleansing ray.)

A massive, skyscraper sized beam of white light exploded from the tip of that 'blade', instantaneously reaching the Vasto Lorde. With no chance to completely get away from the attack, a wide-eyed Flamun Sonido'ed away so that only his left arm and left side of his chest were erased from existence. Choking on his own blood, Flamun stared at the death angel floating above him with a disgusted look. The Vasto Lorde roared, pushing off and surging towards his last opponent with his claws outstretched.

"Kage no fīrudo," Misami said before he could even get close. (Translation: Field of Shadows)

The world, just as when the Soul Reaper had released her Bankai, was cloaked in an absolute darkness. Whispers permeated the area, drifting around and spreading despair and fear. Those that were still conscious felt themselves touched on the shoulder or arm by a ghostly hand. Those weaker than Lieutenant level spiritual pressure passed out by the fear that the ability had produced within them. Flamun looked left and right, trying to find the Soul Reaper that he was fighting in this land of darkness. The Captain level, and even those like the Head Captain and Ichigo's level of strength, still felt something akin to a flashback from the past. Their darkest secrets, those things that they would keep buried within themselves, surfaced in their minds without their consent.

"Hiding in the shadows won't save you, Twenty-Three!" Flamun yelled, firing Balas indiscriminately with the hopes of hitting the Soul Reaper.

"Chasing shadows will get you nowhere, Hollow," Misami's indifferent tone underlayed with anger filled his head.

"You will succumb to my will, Twenty-Three, and you will die a slow and painful death at my hand!" Flamun roared.

"What the point in doing that if you can't live to see it?" Misami said, her voice dead, "Kami no Hikari." (Translation: Divine Light)

What was once darkness was now the most blinding light anyone had ever seen. Flamun screamed in pain as he held his eyes, having been blinded by the sudden change in light. Those on the ground were in the same state, most holding their eyes as well. Blinded, Flamun began to fire Cero after Cero with his eyes tightly shut in pain. He shouted curses and swore death upon all of Misami's descendants during his rampage. Misami deactivated the ability, leaving the sight of the angered Vasto Lorde easily seen by those that were somehow not affected by either of the two abilities she had just used. The expression she wore was off-putting. She stared at Flamun with a sinister smile, one that reeked of ill-will and vengeance.

"Oh, so this is what it feels like to get revenge!" Misami said, breathing harshly, "You have forced me to destroy everything that I loved. I've lost everything because of you, Hollow, and I think it's time that you knew what that felt like."

"You little...Wha!?" Flamun began, but felt a paralyzing cold touch on his back and shoulder.

Misami had appeared behind the monstrous Hollow, hands draped over his shoulders like some demonic temptress. She grinned, laughing quietly with enough malice to kill, "You'll understand the weight of your sin, which has been following you like a shadow..."

"What are you...Gahhh!" Flamun screamed in agony.

"Tsumi no hasai jūryō." Misami had said. (Translation: Sin's Crushing Weight)

Just as the Hollow began to writhe in agony, still blinded from Misami's previous efforts, those that had recovered from the blindness saw a black orb that was sitting in the center of Flamun's Hollow Hole. The flesh closest to the orb began to leak towards it, being absorbed and sucked into the black orb. He began to bleed from where his flesh was being slowly torn away from his body, the amount of which was growing slowly. Misami's wings flapped twice, taking her away from the Vasto Lorde as he began to scream and yell with determination and pain.

"No...It can't end like this...Not when I was so close...I still have to avenge him...I can't die yet...Master...Its so cold..."

The Hollow's last words were so soft and weak that it sounded almost human.

The air became lighter, with nothing remaining of the Hollow that destroyed the Seireitei but the black orb that Misami had created. The Fourth Squad, having done its to heal as many of the Captains as they could, even Takeshi, took a deep breath as a group. Everyone that could looked up as the death angel with white hair slowly descended from the sky.

Landing with with her left foot first, wings outstretched proudly as they cast dark shadows before her. Misami looked up at the orb that was still in the sky, her evil grin fading into resignation. With the flick of her black 'blade', the orb was engulfed in black flames and burned out of existence.

"I hope...that was worth it..." And with that, the power vanished from Misami's body. The wings, vanished like extinguishing flames, her left eye flickering back to the same blue as her right. Her eyes then lost their light, slowly closing as she collapsed onto the roof of the building she stood on. Her hair splayed out like a halo along with the tails of her scarf and the cloth of her haori. As if gravity were reversed, the black that had clung to Misami's clothes dripped up into the sky and evaporated, leaving Misami back in the Espada's inverted white with black accenting colors. The disheveled wrappings around her arms were back to where they were. The scabbards of her Zanpakuto appeared from a formation of flame-like white and black spiritual pressure, the swords sheathed within them. Her midriff, and the three parallel scars that adorned its left side, still remained exposed.

The silence that followed that action was the heaviest and quietest moment the day had ever seen. Soul Reapers, with the spiritual pressure of the Vasto Lorde completely gone, were beginning to awaken from their slumber. Wounds healed in their sleep by the tireless and thankless Fourth Squad, they were able to stand on their feet at least. The Head Captain was one of the first to rise completely to his feet. He stared at the angel Soul Reaper with perpetually squinted eyes, his bare chest still visible to the Soul Society.

"You have saved us from destruction, child," He spoke, almost reluctantly, "But...That does not change the fact that you are exiled from the Soul Society."

"What?" Ichigo said, grimacing as he stood, "Did you get hit in the head!? She was never on their side! That stupid Vasto Lorde was controlling her! It wasn't her fault!"

"Even if that were true, Captain Kurosaki," The old man said, "She just killed the one that would have said otherwise. Now there's no one but her to tell if that is true. It's too much of a coincidence."

"Not so fast, there old man," A familiar voice called across the battlefield, unsurprisingly rough from the damage but still strong, "I'm not lettin' you take her away from me...Not while I'm still breathing..."

Takeshi rose from where Nel was tending to him, staring the Head Captain in the eye. Nel stood up next to him, not faltering in her own stare, "Yeah, me neither! Misami is my friend!"

"Foolish children..." The Head Captain said, his voice growing stringer, "Why is it that you never respect your elders!? Captains, any Soul Reaper that can move, capture Misami Kuchiki!"

Just as the Soul Reapers reluctantly moved to capture the unconscious girl, Takeshi and Nel appeared before her. With Takeshi completely healed and Nel having sat out the majority of the fighting to look after her Arrancar love interest, both easily were able to Sonido over in time. Firing a massive blood red makeshift spiritual-pressure-infused slash like Ichigo's trademark attack, Takeshi opened a Garganta for their escape. Nel, sticking her tough out at the Head Captain for trying to get Misami captured, soon followed the Arrancar as he took the Hollow-Soul Reaper hybrid into the dark portal.

The Seireitei was still as ever, Soul Reapers looking from one to the other with a hopeless expression. The amount of damage to the Seireitei was severe, and seemingly impossible to heal. It was astonishing that only around fifteen hundred of them had been killed. It could most likely be attributed to the Hollows desiring to have a feast after their victory. Regardless, the Head Captain cleared his throat.

"Soul Reapers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads!" His voice boomed, "We have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat! Our survival means our triumph!"

A great roar arose from the battle-beaten Soul Reapers the old man had addressed, most of them having just woken up from their slumber.

They all would rather relish in victory than think of the white haired Soul Reaper that had saved their lives.

* * *

"That was too close, Takeshi..." Nel breathed, laughing under her breath.

"Yeah, no kidding..." Takeshi said, sitting down on a rock with Misami sleeping next to him.

I felt weak and tired, completely drained of any energy. I could still see the body of Flamun being sucked into nothingness by my Bankai, still hear the cries he shouted as he died. We were in Las Noches, in a outpost that was just far enough away from the areas that I was familiar with so that I didn't have those horrible flashbacks. Nel and Takeshi had been talking for the past hour or so, not even realizing that I was awake and listening in on them. It was apparent that I was being cared for. A blanket had been found and draped over my frame. Nel's hand was stroking my hair. Takeshi's eyes were perpetually fixed on me. I felt like a pampered child in a hospital with worried parents. Neither of them were wanting to leave my side for anything. They always whispered when they wanted to talk about anything, so that they wouldn't disturb me.

"Misami...?" Nel's voice called, "Are you awake?"

I groaned, my muscles stiff from disuse as I sat up. The blanket fell off of my frame as I looked around with drowsy eyes, "It's been a while since I've been with someone I can trust..."

"Well, you're here now," Takeshi said, sitting down, "So what was that thing that you did when you killed Flame-head?"

"My Bankai, you mean?" I asked, trying to clarify.

"Yeah, it was like there was a black hole in his chest." Takeshi nodded.

"It's kinda hard to explain, " I scratched the back of my head with a nervous laugh and a crooked smile, "But its ability is to control all aspects of light, the things that create it and the things that can destroy it. There's a lot of symbolism and stuff with it, but I'm too tired to even start..."

With my second volley of nervous laughter, Takeshi chuckled, "Eh, mine's a lot more simple than your's."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" I asked, cocking my head.

"I have something that's kinda like your Bankai thing," The spartan helmed Arrancar said, shrugging, "I just thought that it was normal to have one of those. But let me tell you, that Bankai of your's was pretty cool. Not gonna lie."

I beamed at the compliment, "Thanks, Takeshi!"

"Even though he was barely able to stay awake to see it," Nel giggled.

"I'm sorry that I was too worried about breathing with your chest in my face..." Takeshi said with a small amount of heat rising to his cheeks.

I smiled, already feeling more secure than I ever had been in these past few weeks. I could almost breathe a sigh of relief, now that I was with people that I could trust. I looked at the two Arrancars starting to bickering slightly, smiling at them. The air was lighthearted for the first time in weeks, the weight that I had been carrying at least partially off of my shoulders. Breathing was a little easier than before, and everything seemed to be a little brighter than I remembered seeing it in the recent past. I was thankful that I was pulled out of the fate of returning to a street beggar wandering the alleys in search of food. I was thankful for Nel and Takeshi staying with me during this time, and for those that still believed in me, where ever they were.

I still had the fact of my family looming over my head, and what the Soul Society was going to do to try and find the three of us. They would either try and relentlessly pursue us, or completely ignore us and simply put out a warrant for our capture. Either way didn't really affect me, since both would be put on hold as the Seireitei and Rukkon Districts were repaired. The Thirteen Court Guard Squads was on high alert from the attacks, the knowledge that anything could choose to attack them then hanging over their heads didn't leave any other reaction. That was my own speculation, though.

"Hey, what do you want to do?" Nel asked, looking over at me with a smile, "We can explore the Menos Forest! Or we can try and find some other people!"

"Why would we want to do that?" Takeshi asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So you can fight them?" I asked to no one in particular, "Or so we can make more friends?"

"Something like that!" Nel asked, grinning as she jumped onto Takeshi in a massive hug, "But I think this one wants to say something to you~~!"

Takeshi blushed, looking away as I stared at him with my childish expression of curiosity, "I...uh...I'm glad that you're okay...I was worried about you..."

I giggled, smiling before tears started to unexpectedly well up and I started to cry, "Me too, Takeshi...I'm glad that you and Nel are both okay!"

"Hey! Nel said with a patronizing look, motion towards me as I wiped away tears that continued to be replaced, "Why'd you make her cry, dummy?"

"It wasn't me, Nel!" Takeshi said, frowning, "I didn't do anything!"

"Well, obviously you did, since she started crying _after _you said something," Nel said, looking at Takeshi as she sat down next to me.

"Sorry, its just..." I began, starting to have a small laugh mix in with my sobs, "I thought that I was never going to see either of you again..."

Nel patted my back, hugging me. Her massive chest enveloped my face, my nose between her two breasts. Ignoring the fact that it was hard to breathe in the position, I focused on the love and compassion that was in the gesture. The warmth of Nel's flesh made my sobs start anew until I was practically balling my eyes out. Takeshi was probably looking at me with a weird look, but I didn't care. I just hugged Nel back and let myself cry. I let all the pain and fear and terror that I had gone through out in my tears, letting go of all that misery. In a way, it was like transferring that weight to Nel and Takeshi, like passing on some of it to them so I could move on with my life. Nel was giving me a way to escape those horrors that would eventually come back to haunt me, something that I didn't think that I needed until now.

_This may not be my house, or my family, _I thought to myself, _But for now...this...this is home..._


	26. The Peace Before The Fall

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter for Prodigy! Granted it has been a long time in between this and the last update, but please excuse the wait! I've had a lot of stuff to do to prepare for college and I had to take more and more time out of writing for the story! I'll be taking a break after this since I have to get myself used to my new classes, and how much free time I'll have with studying and the like, but the story hasn't been forgotten yet! With that said, here's the newest chapter!**

**Thank you, lizyeh2000, for reviewing! I'm glad that you liked her Bankai! I really liked how it turned out! I hope that you enjoy this next chapter too!**

**Thank you, KijoKuroi, for reviewing! I'm glad that you liked it! I've always loved writing this story, so seeing someone else enjoy it just as much makes me really happy XD I hope that you enjoy this one just as much as you did the last!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, only the story, plot, and ideas, as well as my OCs. **

I walked around the halls of Las Noches, a breeze from the outside wafting in the sands of Hueco Muendo. The smell of Hollow was almost unnoticeable for me now, since I was so used to breathing in the foul stench with every breath for the past two weeks or so. Takeshi and Nel were in the library, which was remarkably untouched, with Nel reading and Takeshi sitting beside her.

I'd left the two of them in peace, since I had too much energy to get rid of. I didn't want to annoy either of them, since they were already tired as it was dispatching Hollows trying to reclaim this territory. I was tired too, trying to train myself so that I could handle my abilities better. Namely my Hollow abilities were the things that eluded me the most. The Garganta that I was able to forge during my attack on the Vasto Lorde was forged out of pure rage, since I desired to be there so badly that I'd slashed reality away to go to the Seireitei.

But today, I wanted to just take a break from all the training that I was going through. I'd spent five hundred years of my life training, what was a few days of rest in light of that?

I skipped through the sands outside our new home, smiling like I didn't have a care in the world. It had been so long since I could just be the teenager that I was, relatively anyway. To be able to forget all my troubles and worries to just enjoy being alive was something that I had barely been able to experience. The thoughts that were running through my mind were mainly focused on what I wanted to do today. I couldn't decide between a picnic in the Menos Forest, or some other sort of adventure that involved leaving this place. Of course, both were ludicrous ideas, with their own amounts of danger. There was the Menos Forest with all its monsters and shadows from which to be ambushed from, and the worlds outside Hueco Muendo that held nothing but the danger of being found by the Soul Society and chased away by annoying Soul Reapers. Really, I knew that I shouldn't even consider leaving the safety of the Hollow World, but I couldn't help feel the affects of cabin fever.

Takeshi and Nel were being the parents in this strange sort of family that we had going. Takeshi told me about the change in their relationship, or rather the fact that there was one to begin with, about a day after we started to hole up here in the palace of Las Noches. With them starting to grow closer and closer as time went on, I would tease them as I would Ichigo and Rukia. Though, the major difference between this pair and the two Soul Reapers was that Nel did not succumb so easily to embarrassment while Takeshi would simply get mad. It wasn't as satisfying as when I'd done it to my first friends, but it was something that reminded me of the old times at the Academy.

_Master, where are you going? _Hikari asked me suddenly.

"Anywhere and nowhere at all," I responded out loud, no one but the rolling sands of Hueco Muendo to hear me. "Why do you ask?"

_You are straying further than Takeshi and Nel told you to go, _My Zanpakuto stated flatly, _They might get upset with you for it..._

"I'm sure that they'll forgive it," I said, still smiling, "It's not like they are my parents or anything."

**You have been playing house with them for two weeks, Princess. They are they type that they'll start getting used to it, since they both care about you...Is what the Stiff here was about to say. I personally don't care what happens, just as long as we get some decent fighting in somewhere. **Hollow Hikari said in a bored tone.

_As I've said over and over again, do not call me "Stiff"! _

**What's wrong, Stiff, can't handle a nickname? **

_If it wasn't so rude, I wouldn't care what you called me!_

**Oh really? I think I'll put that to the test...Nah, I'll stick with Stiff. I'm used to it now.**

_Why you little...!_

"Would you both shut up?" I asked, sighing heavily as I stopped in my tracks.

**What are you gonna do about it, Princess? **Hollow Hikari chuckled as her voice held an air of confidence, **Come in here and make me.**

"Nice try," I shook my head as I started to walk again, "But I'm not going to be baited on my day off, idiot."

**Baiting? **My Hollow Zanpakuto scoffed, **What the heck are you talking about?**

_Maybe the fact that you were crossing your fingers while you were talking to her... _Hikari said, almost under her breath.

I went on, doing my best to ignore the two of them as Hollow Hikari began to insult her counterpart. I looked around, sensing a slight difference in the atmosphere than before. It wasn't as significant as Takeshi or Nel's, since they were both clearly in the library from what I could tell. It was not, however, small enough to where I couldn't sense it, meaning it was either hiding its spiritual pressure or it was just extremely weak. Living in prosperity and solitude with my friends had dulled my reflexes some, so I didn't immediately go for the swords that were supposed to be at my back and hip. In fact, I didn't react at all. Fighting wasn't even the first thing on my mind, surprisingly, nothing but curiosity plaguing my mind as to what the signature was coming from.

"Who's there?" I called, leaning over to the side like a confused child, "Come out, come out where ever you are!"

There was a slight shifting of the sands as the being in question suddenly moved to attack.

"Nyah!" I heard a sudden, excited sound as a small animal leaped from behind a small dune.

A cat with a Hollow mask plopped onto my head, proceeding to lick my white hair as if it was its own. With a hiss here and there, it's fur standing on its end as I reached up and grabbed a hold of the little beast. I held it before me under its arms, its neck appearing smaller with its shoulders forced upwards. The over all image of a Hollow cat was something that I never thought that I would get to see.

"Awww!" I said, stars in my eyes, "And what's your name, kitty?"

It swiped at my face with its claws, "Nya!"

"Nya?" I laughed, then pulled it in for a hug despite its hostile nature, "Then that's what I'll call you then!"

It pushed back on my chest as I tucked it into a tight embrace as I jumped up and down.

**Two weeks...two weeks of peace and she's acting as if nothing had ever happened... **

_Let her have this...she's been through Hell these past few months..._

"Nel! Takeshi!" I yelled, turning as I started to run for the library at full speed without Flash Step.

* * *

"Now that you are all here, with the exception of Captains Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi, I call this meeting to order." The booming voice of the Head Captain resounded in the room.

The strongest of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads stood in their places, Ichigo among them, as the unannounced meeting began. This was outside the usual scheduled Captain's Meetings, and hod no prior event that would have given it a cause for existance, so all of the Soul Reapers had no idea what was to be discussed. Save for a certain scarred old man that stood deceptively stooped at the front of the room with his cane.

Ichigo looked around at the faces of the Captains, reading into what they felt before his urge to outright blurt his confusion over took him. The rest of the Captains, with the exception of Byakuya Kuchiki, Soi Fon, and Kensei they all were expressing their own versions of unease or curiosity. Shunsui seemed intrigued, but it was drowned in the look of exhaustion in his eyes, telling the tale that he would rather be catching up on his beauty sleep than stand in the Captain's meeting. His old friend, the sickly Ukitake looked with an open expression of concern for why they were called, since he was one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Kumamora crossed his massive arms over his chest, scanning the other Captains in wait for the Head Captain's opening remarks. The rest of the Captains were expectantly looking on as their Head Captain began to open his mouth to speak.

"I have called this meeting to address the rumors surrounding Misami Kuchiki," the Head Captain said, looking around. Byakuya's expression didn't change in the slightest. "As you all know, she struck the finishing blow against the Vasto Lorde that had caused us to almost lose the Seireitei in our last war. Despite the fact that she was seen as a great enemy, the current opinion about the girl has shifted. Surprisingly, there is a faction of Soul Reapers that still thinks her one of us. Of course there is another that thinks this recent war was all her orchestration. Yes, Captain Kurosaki?"

Ichigo realized that he had taken a step forward without his knowing, but continued to speak with what came to his mind, "What do you mean? How could they think that is was all her fault?"

The old man shook his head, elaborating, "Their faction's current theory was that Misami was another Aizen. They think that Misami had been plotting to take over the Seireitei, just like her creator had programmed her to do, and had gone about it in a similar way to that Captain in question. They believe that she was always against the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, acting like she was everyone's friend so that they wouldn't suspect a thing."

"That's..." Ichigo's voice trailed off.

"...plausible." Byakuya stated bluntly, without emotion, "Even now, there is evidence that supports this claim."

"Byakuya!" Ichigo said, glaring at the noble Captain, "Are you abandoning your adopted sister again? Do I need to beat some sense into you again?"

"Calm down, Kurosaki," Byakuya said, looking away as he did so, "I'm simply stating the facts. Needless to say, my family comes first after the law."

"Regardless," The Head Captain said, slamming his cane down with a reasonable amount of force, "We must address how we will publicly stand on the issue. We have yet to say what the official records will state, and are reaching the deadline."

"Say she's dead," Soi Fon said, closing her eyes and crossing her arms, "That way, we can say that justice was served and they will all stop harboring hate for her. That is to say, if the three of them are smart enough to fly below the radar for a bit more."

"What if she shows up, then?" Kensei asked, looking at the Punishment Force Captain through the corner of his eyes, "What'll we say then?"

"If it comes to that, we'll fain ignorance, Captain," Soi Fon said, looking at the one she was addressing, "Since the ones that will see her will tend to be on the jumpy side for the time being, it could be plausible that they 'saw something, or someone'. With Misami Kuchiki having been at the forefront of this war, on both side's of the conflict, everyone might be jumpy about any one that looks like her."

"While it has its merit," The Head Captain said, "Let us consider other options before we have to resort to that."

"Yes, Head Captain," Soi Fon said, stepping back to her place.

"With that said, what do the rest of you have to say?" Head Captain said, scanning the thirteen Captains before him.

"Would it be possible," Captain Ukitake said, raising his hand, "To bring her back, and show everyone that she was on our side the entire time? We run the risk of turning her against us if we are too cruel in our treatment of her...She is still just a child after all."

"From a public and political perspective, it is nearly impossible," The Head Captain said, sighing, "Regardless of whether or not she was even in control of her body at that time, the child is still responsible for the destruction of one of the largest Rukkon Districts. Not to mention its one hundred percent casulaity rating. Since it was the same District that she was found, we can't discount it as a random act of violence."

"I see...That's a shame..." Ukitake said, resting his chin between his thumb and index finger.

"Wait...Are you saying that there is no way that Misami can come back to the Seireitei?" Ichigo said, stepping forward.

"Not necessarily, Kurosaki," Soi Fon responded, "There are three ways: One being that she pulls off a great multitude of good deeds to pay back the crimes. Two would be in the event of a war that was even greater than the one we just finished fighting. And the last one would be in hand-cuffs, seals, and a cage for at least a thousand years."

"...That's not fair...She saved us as soon as she could!" Ichigo protested, "She pushed herself so hard that she passed out!"

"The people of the Soul Society didn't see that," The Head Captain said, hitting his cane down on the floor, "They saw the destruction of millions of Souls at the hands of one fallen Soul Reaper child. That is what they will remember."

"..." Ichigo bit his tongue, wanting to voice his true feelings about the situation, and stepped back into his place.

"With that said, are there any other suggestions?" The Head Captain said, scanning the room.

The Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads fell silent and waited for anyone to speak up.

The child prodigy of Squad Thirteen stepped forwards, "Would there be a way to find evidence on what truly happened to her? Why must we debate something when we could uncover the truth?"

"In dealing with past incidents," The Head Captain explained, his voice as gruff and powerful as it always was, "The Soul Society demands answers before we could give them. Therefore, the most likely scenario, or one that would be the most widely accepted, is presented while the Thirteen Court Guard Squads continued the investigation. Of course, if the most likely scenario is the one that occurred, then there's no reason to investigate."

"So what I'm hearing, Head Captain," Hitsugaya said, "Is that we don't even know what happened, despite the casualties and damages being the highest to date from any conflict in recent history?"

The old man merely nodded his head in agreement.

"I see..." the white haired Captain of the Thirteenth Squad said, sighing, "Then I, for one, will agree with Captain Soi Fon's plan. Though I'd like to have a team dedicated to finding out what really happened...something of this magnatude should not be completely unstudied, so that it is never repeated."

"Then it is settled," The Head Captain said, with a slam of his cane on the ground, then his gaze shifted to the Captain of the Second Squad, whom had stepped forward, "What is it, Captain of Squad Two?"

"My Lieutenant has connections with the exiles," The assassin Captain said, "May I have permission for him to meet up with them to find out what they know?"

"...hmm..." The old man pondered the request, "...Permission granted. See to the mission personally."

"Yes, Head Captain," She said with a bow, stepping back.

"Are there any other requests?" The Head Captain said, once again scanning the room, finding none stepping forward, "Then this meeting is dismissed."

* * *

"We need to leave here, Misami," Takeshi said to me, while I held my new hollow-pet in my lap, "This is the first place that those Soul Reapers will look."

"Awww," I whined, "But it's so nice here..."

He rolled his eyes, "That's such a lie it's not even funny..."

I giggled, "I thought it was funny!"

Nel laughed lightly beside me, "Takeshi's right, Misami. We won't be able to hide here much longer before the Soul Society starts looking for us."

I sighed, hugging the small hollow-cat close to my chest, causing it it meow slightly in protest, "Fine then, where to then?"

"We're heading for the World of the Living," The Arrancar responded, crossing his arms, "I'm sure you can convince Urahara to let us borrow some Gigai that'll hide our spiritual pressures."

"The World of the Living! Yay!" I exclaimed, already thinking of the many things that I've wanted to try since the last time I was there.

Nel smiled, my new pet meowed. Takeshi sighed, "We'll have to leave that thing here. No point in bringing it with us."

"Awww..." I sighed, frowning as I looked down at the small Hollow, "But I just found him..."

"If you do bring him, what are you going to do with him? Find human souls to feed it?" Takeshi said, cocking his head, "Not that I care, but that sort of thing doesn't sound like anything you'd be up for. Even if it meant leaving the thing behind."

I looked down at the little hollow-cat, and sighed, "Sorry little guy...looks like I won't be able to bring you with us..."

"Nya~" The little cat purred, seeming to consul me.

"I'll come back for you some day, I promise, 'kay?" I smiled, letting the small Hollow down onto the ground.

I brushed off some of the fur that'd the little thing had shed onto my white clothes. The Arrancar-like short-skirted kimono and haori that I wore had become my default choice of clothing, and the tattooed "23" wasn't going anywhere soon. I'd always wear these types of clothes from now on, so that I wouldn't forget the things that I did. Living in this palace was a sort of sentence that I'd resigned myself to, since it held such horrible memories that would attack me in the middle of the night. I didn't tell or let on to Takeshi or Nel, but I was still pretty torn up about what had happened in the span of memories that I didn't have. When I'd helped in the neat destruction of the Soul Society.

"When do we leave?" I asked, my gaze shooting up to meet Takeshi's, "O Fearless Leader?"

"I'm not the leader, Misami," Takeshi grumbled, "No one's the leader. We're in this together."

"That doesn't answer my question, Takeshi~" I responded, ending on a playful sing-song tone.

Takeshi growled again, rolling his eyes, "Right now would be the best choice. It's not like we have anything keeping us here."

"You really don't waste time, huh?" I sighed, turning to head to my room, "Alrighty then, I'll get to packing."

"See?" Nell said when they thought I was out of earshot, "I told you she'd understand, Takeshi."

"How is it that you know her so well, but I've known her for much longer?" Takeshi grumbled, half-way dodging the comment.

"Woman's Intuition," Nel said, giggling.

"...Right..." Takeshi said, sighing, "Alright, We'd better get to packing too."

* * *

"So," I said, looking around the empty streets of the city, "Where are we going to stay?"

"Any ideas?" Takeshi said, shrugging as he looked at Nel.

I looked at the Arrancar, deadpanning at his temporary lack of foresight. Normally, I would expect the over-paranoid monster of a being to think ahead in his plans to elude the Soul Reapers, but this example made me rethink my assumptions.

We had just arrived in the Living World, each of us holding or small amount of personal belongings. It was night time, so the streets of the city were all but vacant. there was a few shifty characters around, bulges tugging at the back of their shirts at their waists. My most recent research showed them to be fire-arms, but this was the first time that I was seeing them in person whatsoever. The street lights and windows shimmered in the distance like dull orange stars, aligned perfectly with the silhouettes of the skyscrapers of downtown. This was a city, many times bigger than Karakura Town, and was on the other side of the Living World. Takeshi said that the second place the Soul Society would look would be Karakura, and therefore took us through a Garganta that lead to the most populated area while also being a great distance away from Japan.

The neon signs and flashy advertisements lit up the dark alleyways and corridors between the massive buildings. Takeshi's vision was shooting left and right, the infinite amount of hiding places for enemies making his expression practically bleed caution, making me nervous just by looking at him. Nel, by contrast, took in the wondrous sight of the city with a smile on her face.

"I've never seen anything like it..." She said, breathless.

Takeshi looked over at Nel, shaking his head, "We're here to escape the Soul Society, not to sight-see..."

"Oh, c'mon, Takeshi!" Nel exclaimed, sighing, "Can't you just let up a little bit so we can have some fun for once?"

"...It's not a matter of my permission, Nel..." Takeshi said, sighing, "We have to stay one step ahead of those Soul Reapers before they find us."

"Are you worried about what will happen when they find us?" I asked, looking over to the Arrancar as I spoke and crossed my arms.

"I know exactly what will happen when they do," Takeshi said looking into my eyes, "You'll surrender, and then ask that we don't try to save you in exchange for Nel and I's freedom. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you do that, midget."

His assumption was so accurate, I didn't even have the right to snap at him for the jab at my height. Nel looked over to me, then looked at Takeshi.

"Why don't we find a place to sleep?" Nel said, trying to keep the atmosphere from getting too sad, "We're all tired...I know I am!"

"Yeah," I said, looking away from my two friends, "...Okay, let's go."

"You know where to look, Misami?" Takeshi said, both him and Nel following as I started walking away from the bright lights of the city.

I shook my head, looking over my shoulder, "I spent most of my life living on the streets. Of course I do."

Takeshi sighed, realization at his forgetfulness of my past in his voice, "Right...Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," I said, shrugging, "I forget sometimes too."

We continued on, Nel and Takeshi talking behind me while I looked around the city for a place for us to take shelter for the night. I wasn't used to this area, but every city after a certain size threshold, always had places that were ignored by the general public. Soon, I'd spotted a ruined and abandoned structure with so many windows that it couldn't be anything other than an inn of sorts. Takeshi noticed that that was what I was steering us towards, and started focusing his senses around that structure to make sure it was safe. Nel, not seeming to care all that much, simply continued to look around the city in awe.

We had to cross a street in order to reach the inn, something that made me weary just thinking about the metal horseless carts that sped across the pot-holed roads at a frighting pace. I looked both ways, seeing a pair of lights that were mounted on the front of a vehicle far down the road. When I was satisfied that it was safe to cross the road, I planted a foot forwards and started after the over-grown metal fences of the structure's abandoned lot.

Suddenly, the breath was knocked out of me and I found myself flying through the air. A screeching sound slammed into my brain, followed by a sickening dull thud. I collapsed onto the ground on the other side of the road, unable to catch myself before my face slammed into the concrete. The aching pain from the impact was the least of my concerns as I turned to figure out what had pushed me. The sight that met my eyes made me blink in confusion.

Takeshi stood on the other end of the road, staring at what was left of the vehicle in the space where I was not moments before. In my place was a shadowy figure, hood and scarf covering his face from view in the dimmed lights from the front of the vehicle. A dark leather jacket, half-fingered gloves, black pants and boots. I looked from the figure to Takeshi and Nel, with my eye wide. My expression asking if we should run or if we should fight.

"Misami," A familiar voice sounded from behind the scarf of the figure, "I really hope that your reflexes aren't so bad that you didn't see that one coming..."

"Daiki..." I said, looking down from his gaze as he turned towards me, "...What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Hard to find something that you never lost," Daiki said, just as the door to the vehicle opened with a very annoyed human

"Hey, buddy, what's the big idea!?" The human teenager said, "I just got this fixed and you go and...stop it with a sword? What the heck?!"

Daiki glanced at the sword that he'd stabbed into the front of the vehicle, smoke coming through the cracks, then pointed towards me, "You almost hit a girl, idiot."

Slowly, the human's gaze turned towards me. His cheeks were suddenly a little more rosy under the moonlight. I glanced down, trying to figure out what the guy was staring at. Finding nothing wrong with my outfit of a coat, pleaded skirt, thigh high socks, and shoes, I looked back up to realize that he was staring at my chest. Instantly, I covered what he was trying to see and shot him a death glare. Comically, it was as if that look had killed whatever fantasy he'd had about me as fear flickered behind his eyes. Takeshi, realizing why I looked upset so suddenly, stomped into the street towards the human.

In a special Limiter Gigai for Arrancar that Kisuke had made, Takeshi was only limited tot he physical abilities of a human with his size and stature. That being said, Takeshi had enough muscular definition to make him look like some Greek God. The human that he was now baring down on looked more like a malnourished swimmer than a fighter. Given the fact that Takeshi also had thousands of years under his belt in fighting strong opponents, there really was no contest.

So, with that information in mind, in really wasn't all that shocking to see the kid race for his vehicle. While screaming "Sorry! Sorry!", he reversed and raced down the road at an even faster speed than all the other vehicles I'd seen. As I watched him leave, I realized that the presence of Daiki had not left us.

Then I remembered what he'd said, "What do you mean 'hard to find something you never lost'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like it means," Daiki said, sighing, "Have you forgotten that I'm the Lieutenant of the Punishment Force? My responsibility after aiding my Captain is to be the Commander of the Reconnaissance Force. That means tracking down certain individuals that are some of the main cause for the greatest amount of damage in recent history."

"So you were stalking me," I generalized, deadpanning.

"Don't say it like I'm some sort of pervert!" Daiki said, face palming his hidden features. "Anyways, I've been asked to question the three of you about what you think happened during the Vasto Lorde Incident."

"No interrogations? Blackmailing?" I said, tensing to run, "Because I'd rather not deal with that sort of stuff right now, Daiki."

"You really think I;d interrogate you without any proof?" Daiki said, sighing, "Takeshi's made you too paranoid-"

"No, he hasn't," I said, cutting the assassin Soul Reaper off abruptly, "He only set me back into my old habits from Hanging Dog."

"Right..." Daiki said, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration, "Well, it's just a few questions, so can you please just help me out so that it doesn't come down to interrogation?"

I pointed to the abandoned building, "In there. So we don't attract any attention."

Daiki raised his hands, a sign of truce, "Fine, fine. You have a point."

* * *

We sat around a small Kido light, provided by Daiki, with cautious looks on our faces.

I had a very unsettling feeling about Daiki's presence. Something about this meeting was off, like he'd come here for more than whatever his mission was. His hood and scarf were keeping me from seeing what he was actually feeling, and his spiritual pressure was one of the most well controlled and guarded in existence. It was like slamming into a steel wall every time I tried to figure out what he was thinking or feeling through my senses. That only made me more nervous, since he had a past of cutting off any personal attachment when orders called for it. For example, if he was asked to kill everyone that he was friends with by someone whom had authority over him, like Soi Fon or the Head Captain, then they would all be dead like anyone else. Same went for me, since I was no different than any other target as soon as a kill order was sent out for me.

I trusted Takeshi to stop any attacks that might be happening, given his paranoid style of situational awareness. The main thing that made this nervous knot in my chest tighten even more was the fact that he's came at night and alone. Natural to some old habits that I haven't practiced in a long time, I immediately thought of everything that I knew about him. Two things popped into my head after that. One was that I'd need my Shikai to escape this assassin's Flash Step, and the second being that his Zanpakuto was a shadow type.

Seeing as there was an abundance of darkness to draw from, I'd be at a slight disadvantage. Then there was the fact of his Bankai, of which no one knew exactly what it was. Frankly, I didn't want to find out the hard way.

"Why are you running away from the Soul Society?" Daiki suddenly asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Isn't it obvious?" Takeshi growled, "They'll kill her if she stays, or put her in a cell for thousands of years! I'm not about to let that happen."

"Have you ever thought that that wasn't what the Captains thought?" Daiki said, looking over at the Arrancar.

"What do you mean, ninja boy?" Takeshi grumbled.

"...They didn't send me to kill you," Daiki said, turning his head back to face me, "That should tell you all that you need to know. Trust me, she has the undying loyalty of two powerful Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Not to mention two of its most powerful Lieutenants. So calm down and hear me out. The suspicion in all three of your spiritual pressures is giving me a headache."

"Sorry," I said, sighing, "But you're just going to have to deal with that. Takeshi won't relax with words alone."

Daiki groaned, "Fine then. I've come to ask you for your side of the story. What really happened that caused this whole incident, resulting in an entire Rukkon District being erased from existence."

"You didn't have to word it like that, meanie," Nel said, looking over at the hooded Soul Reaper.

"Right..." Daiki said, sighing again, "So are you going to tell me, or do I have to play bad cop?"

"If you think you can threaten-"

"Takeshi," I said, holding up a hand to quiet the Arrancar before he started to yell, "It's fine. I have nothing to hide anyway."

"...Misami..." Takeshi said, letting the fist he'd just raised drop to his side, "Fine...Do as you wish."

I looked at Daiki, "Kisuke came to me after you visited me that night. He told me that I would either have to choose between quitting in fighting. He said that the Gigai I was given for my exile was slowly turning me into a human, and that the only way I was going to fight was with my Bankai."

"How did that happen?" Daiki urged.

"I don't remember," I said, trying to put as much sincerity as I could, "I remember vaguely Kisuke holding up some weird doll, but that's about it. My Hollow told me that she was controlled by the Vasto Lorde right after she had control of my body after I'd achieved Bankai...My head hurts whenever I try to remember anything more."

Takeshi looked around the room, anywhere but where my eyes were, "I found her pretty torn up where they had left her...It wasn't pretty..."

"So you're saying that it wasn't you that did all those things? It was you Hollow, who also wasn't entirely to blame?" Daiki said neutrally.

I nodded, "Yeah...That sounds about right..."

"Alright then..." Daiki said, resting his chin on his fist as he stared into the firelight. "So what're your plans now?"

"Firstly," I said, staring at the Soul Reaper's face, "I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell them where you found us. As a favor for a friend. I don't really like the idea of moving right when we've gotten here."

"And if my Captain asks me to?" Daiki said, knowing full well how aware I was of how he treated his superiors.

"Well," I said, looking over to Takeshi and Nel, "They'll have to deal with only knowing...or else."

"I wonder what she means by that..." Takeshi said, in a sarcastic pondering tone.

"I think the point was they don't to find out," Nel said, smiling as always.

"Right," Daiki said, a hint of caution in his voice telling me that he got the message while his tone was as apathetic as always, "So are you three just going to hide in the crowd of humans with those black market Gigai forever?"

I shrugged, "Who knows. I wanted to see the World of the Living again anyway...I just wish that Rukia, Ichigo and my brother were here with me..."

"What?" Takeshi said, faking a hurt expression, "Nel and I not good enough for you?"

I rolled my eyes and gave a small smirk, "Hey, this is my family we're talking about here."

"You're family to me," Takeshi said, "Whether you like it or not."

"Huh," Daiki said, almost under his breath, "That was almost touching."

"You're one to talk, stalker," Takeshi growled.

Daiki put his hands up, "Woah, there. It's not stalking; it's observation and reconnaissance."

"Whatever you say, stalker," Takeshi said, rolling his eyes.

* * *

"What have you found, Lieutenant?" Soi Fon said, the Soul Reaper in question kneeling before her.

"Ma'am," Daiki said sharply, "Permission to speak freely."

"Granted," Soi Fon said, noticeably slouching in her chair instead of a more authoritative posture. "Did they suspect you?"

"With the way they are now," Daiki said, "I merely had to be there to make them suspect something."

"A fair point," Soi Fon said, sighing, "So what do you think they know that we don't?"

Daiki sighed. "Takeshi wouldn't look me in the eye, Captain. For someone like him, that is a very rare occurrence. He let Misami do all the talking, only chiming in to insult me or make snide comments. While this isn't exactly uncommon as well, I could tell that something was off."

"Like?" Soi Fon said, urging the Lieutenant on.

"He knows something that no one else knows," Daiki said strongly, "Something that he won't even tell Misami. Since he acted the way that he did only when I asked about what had happened in Las Noches, its something that happened in the period of time between when Takeshi was last seen with Captain Kurosaki while they were searching for Misami."

"Astute," Soi Fon noted, then gave out a small exhale of breath, "So the Arrancar that has been a thorn in our side for hundreds of years is keeping secrets. Not all that surprising, but what is shocking is that he's keeping this from his master."

"Takeshi isn't Misami's-"

"I'm aware of that, Lieutenant," Soi Fon cut him off, "But he might as well be with the way that he cares for her."

Daiki remained silent, consenting the point as he let Soi Fon continue.

"So now we have to figure out what happened in that small window of time," Soi Fon said, resting her chin on her fist.

"Whatever it is," Daiki said, staring into his Captain's eyes, "The only reason Misami doesn't know is because Takeshi believes without a doubt that Misami would suffer from knowing."

The two assassin Soul Reapers spent the next hour or so discussing what could possibly be the information that Takeshi was hiding from the universe. Of course, their efforts were fruitless with the limited clues and knowledge that they had at their disposal. Soon enough, their duties to the Second Squad pulled them away from their efforts.

Daiki followed Soi Fon silently, keeping an eye out while his Captain went about her business. He carried her paperwork for her, and did other tasks while he followed her. The two of them were like peas in a pot, as the saying goes. Their mere presence in the Seireitei was like a sort of looming shadow, since both of them were so serious and intimidating. Most of the Soul Reapers that interacted with them seemed to quicken their pace in both speech and in pace, so that they wouldn't have to deal with the two of them. It didn't help that Daiki's scarf was revealing some of his face, enough to allure to the fact that there was a face to begin with. That aside, neither of the two Soul Reapers paid any heed to what the world around them was doing as they pondered on what they should do next as far as the Misami Kuchiki situation went.

Both of them knew one thing, however...

Whatever it was, they had a feeling that it might be better if it stayed a mystery.

* * *

"So this is a mall!" I said with my mouth agape, "Amazing!"

The air was full of energy, the air crisp with excitement. Smiles were on everyone's faces as they walked around with their friends or family. The sound and smells of the found courts filled my senses. The sides of the massive building were lined with store fronts were displaying products through walls of glass, vibrant colors vying for my attention. There was a large fountain were the avenues of the mall intersected, kids wishing on coins as they tossed them into the water.

There were couples walking through with out a care in the world, the girls happily leading their dates by their arms. Takeshi stood awkwardly looking around with an unintentional menacing glare. A mother even lead her child away from us. Not that I really blamed the woman, though, since the three of us were wearing...less than form-fitting clothing that was so mismatched that it practically screamed poverty.

I had on a shirt which was as close to my size as I could find, but the collar was so stretched out that it hung over my shoulder almost down to my elbow and exposing the strap and top part of my tank top. My dark pants, at least, were the correct size skinny jeans but had numerous holes that I had to fix with duck tape. My shoes were knee high boots that had its souls missing, and a gaping hole on the inside at mid-shin level. Really, I was surprised that those clothes were so close to my small size. Well, the boots were designed to reach half-way up the shin and ended up almost going past my knees.

Nel and Takeshi were a different story. Nel's clothes were similar to mine, but looked like they were several sizes too small to be hers. With bright colored, stretchy cloth, they left _nothing _to the imagination. While Takeshi had on a tank-top that looked like it was about to rip from over-stretching its fabric due to his muscles, and dark sweat pants with stains on the thighs. Some boots that looked like they were from a soldier were on his feet. Both of them looked just like I did in the out-of-place department. Honestly, I felt a sense of nostalgia from my days in the Rukkon, where having this sort of image was commonplace.

Regardless of that, I'd insisted that we went to the mall. Nel readily agreed, raving on and on about having her first official date with Takeshi. It wasn't that hard to convince Takeshi at that point, since he was kind of flustered with what Nel was saying. It was like I was with Rukia and Ichigo back when they were dating, making me both nostalgic and homesick at the same time.

"Taaaakkkeeeessshhiiii," Nel said, her stomach growling, "I'm hungryyyyy..."

"We don't have any money, Nel..." Takeshi said, sighing, "Unless either of you know's how to pick pocket."

I deadpanned, "Takeshi, please. That was the first thing Hanging Dog taught me~"

"The great and powerful Misami, the princess that has the noblest heart of them all, knows how to steal?" Takeshi laughed, "This I got to see."

I held up a wallet, that I'd taken around five minutes ago, grinning mischievously, "Too late, slow poke!"

"I don't know how I feel about this..." Takeshi said, crossing his arms.

I shrugged, "Nel, let's go!"

"Lead the way Misami!" Nel smiled and followed me towards the food court while dragging the pondering Takeshi by his arms.

* * *

"So this is ice cream!" I exclaimed, my eyes glittering with delight. "Why does it hurt my head so much?"

"Dummy," Takeshi said, "You eat too much of something cold, that's bound to happen."

"Don't call me a dummy, dummy!" I pouted, puffing out my cheeks as I licked the vanilla flavored ice cream in my hands.

We were sitting in the food court, tons of people milling about in the stores around us as we ate. The food that we'd eaten before our ice cream was something called a "burger and fries". I couldn't believe that someone had thought to put something as amazing as meat in between bread...or the fact that it as so tasty. The fries, which I dipped in something that Nel said was "Ketchup", were actually really salty. I was really glad that I'd gotten water for my drink, since my mouth was dry after the fries after I'd basically inhaled the entire box.

Takeshi couldn't stop looking around, a weary look in his eyes. Given our appearance, it made people stare at us even more. It's not like I was worried about it or anything, but it was at least enough to catch my attention.

I shrugged off the looks and continued to eat my ice cream with a childishly stupid grin on my face. I adjusted the sleeve on my right side that'd slipped down to my elbow again, and then took another bite. Nel giggled as she watched Takeshi eat his ice cream, some of the chocolate dessert on his chin and nose. Takeshi looked over at the green haired Arrancar, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. Nel rolled her eyes and leaned in close to his face.

"Nel...what are you...?" Takeshi cut himself off, his eyes widening slightly in realization of Nel licking the ice cream from his face.

I put my hand of my mouth like a posh rich girl, speaking in a sarcastically regal tone, "Takeshi...To put on such a public display of affection...I didn't think you hand it in you..."

"Can it, pint size," Takeshi growled, knowing that the kick to his shin was coming, "I wasn't the one that did it!"

"Blaming it on the woman now, huh?" I grinned mischievously, "How very unlike you."

"Just shut up!" Takeshi grumbled, Nel still very close to his face.

Seeing as we were acting normal for our apparent age, the crowds' stares felt a little less intense as the humans continued on with their lives. It was getting into the afternoon hours, with the three of us having gotten here around an hour before noon. This was already one of the happiest days of my life, since I was finally able to feel as though I could breathe easier. These past few months had been the worst since my time in Hanging Dog. With the threat of the Vasto Lorde dealt with, even the Soul Society seemed to look lightly on my capture. I had no idea what the population felt about me back at the Seireitei after what the Vasto Lorde had my Hollow do, but it at least _seemed _like they weren't all that worried about me being at large. Then again, I hadn't been in the Seireitei in the past few weeks and barely remember it at that.

"Misami," Takeshi's voice pulled me back from my thoughts, "Misami, you there?"

"Huh?" I said, looking over at my Arrancar friends, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Takeshi chuckled, "We were asking you if you wanted to go to the park?"

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" I beamed, nodding vigorously, "When?"

"Well, since we just finished eating," Nel smiled, "Why not now?"

* * *

The sprawling green hills of the park sprawled out before then. The afternoon sun shined on the budding plants and the dewy grass from last nights rain. People milled about them and into the park, with the sign over the entrance written in English "_Central Park_". Children ran around, playing various games. Couples having peaceful strolls or picnics together, smiling all the while. Married couples, young and old, sitting on benches and looking either at each other or at the gently rolling clouds with happy and content looks on their features.

These were the images that Daiki could see from were he stood in the shadows of a big oak tree. Since he wasn't wearing a Gigai, the humans wouldn't be able to see him. He also had both the limiter spell and his own spiritual pressure suppression to make sure that the extraordinary senses of the three that he was tracking didn't blow his cover. It brought him back to the days were his slave masters would send him out on a scout mission for weeks at a time, with the threat of punishment in the even t he returned early or with not enough information. Of course, those weren't what he wanted to think about at the moment, but the feeling that he'd watched powerful enemies from a distance still floated around in his head as he stalked his targets.

"So this is what a park is like!" Misami beamed, innocence radiating from her smile like the Sun's rays, "It's so pretty!"

"Stating the obvious again, huh?" Takeshi's gruff voice scoffed, "You always do that when you're amazed?"

"Do not!" Misami said, puffing her cheeks out earnestly.

"Whatever you say," Takeshi said, shaking his head while Nel giggled behind him.

Daiki looked on through the shadows, silently making notes in his mind as the three moved through the greenery of the park. Their clothes were mix-matched, holey, and faded, which made it very obvious that they weren't normal. Daiki almost outwardly cringed when Misami had suggested that they go to a place called the "Mall" despite their appearance, since it seemed like one of the stupidest choices the girl could make. Such a wide open and populated area would make standing out that much easier. Of course, he couldn't voice his opinion since he was technically not there.

His Captain had sent him back to the Human World to watch over the three exiles, since he was the best and stealthiest tracker aside from Soi Fon. It was a safety net of sorts, since Daiki could report their actions, but he couldn't even hope to stop Misami if she wanted to fight him to the death. Much less Nel or Takeshi.

"It's so nice here," Misami said, her voice suddenly turning soft and almost fragile, "I can't even remember the last time I felt so...relaxed..."

"Probably when you just graduated the Academy, right?" Takeshi said, scratching the back of his head, "You told about it when you came to visit me in the prison cells."

"I can't believe you remembered that stuff..." Misami said, turning towards the Arrancar with a gentle smile on her face.

"I guess," Takeshi shrugged as Misami looked back towards the sprawling hills of the park.

"I wonder if Ichigo and Rukia are doing okay..." Misami said sadly, "Maybe they're so busy with...repairing the damage I did that they aren't even thinking of me..."

"Hey," Nel said, walking up to the Hollow-Soul Reaper hybrid and hugging her from behind, "They love you, so of course they're worried about you. They probably are losing sleep at night thinking about how _you _are doing. I mean, they probably don't even know if you're alive with the way they last saw you...Sorry! I didn't mean to say that..."

Her eyes glistening with tears trying not to fall, Misami smiled, "Thanks, Nel...I know what you meant..."

Daiki sighed as he watched the three of them, clenching his fist in annoyance that he couldn't help his friend when she needed it. His eyes scanned the area, making sure that there wasn't any threat to the three of them, out of habit. While he was staring out at the surrounding area, a Hell butterfly fluttered down onto his shoulder.

"_Lieutenant Daiki of the Squad Two,_" The message read from the carrier insect, "_There has been a major breach of security in the Seireitei, and your assistance is requested. You are ordered to leave your current mission and return to Captain Soi Fon with the utmost stealth immediately."_

Daiki sighed, taking out a small piece of paper that he'd cast a special Kido on. THe paper, a secret message that could only be read with Misami's spiritual pressure, was then tied to a throwing dart Daiki had in his waist wrappings. Thoughts were swirling in his head, his mind thinking hard on what could possibly be so important that he'd be recalled so soon. Misami, Takeshi and Nel were the highest threat to the Seireitei as far as anyone knew, so did that mean that whatever this "breach" was was more of a threat than the three of them? Daiki didn't even want to consider such a possibility.

With a careful breath, and a steady hand, Daiki launched the throwing dart so that it would impale the ground right before Misami's feet. Knowing that he couldn't possibly miss, Daiki didn't even watch the missile go before he used a Flash Step to where he'd entered the Human World.

With one last look at the general direction of his closest friend, Daiki quickly entered the Senkaimon.


	27. The War To End All Wars Begins

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I hope that this update was fast enough! I can't promise with a good conscience that I can crank out these chapters this quickly, with all the new coursework that I have to do and study for, but I promise that the story isn't dead! I hope you all enjoy!**

**Thank you, KijoKuroi, for reviewing! You felt bad for Daiki? At which point if you don't mind me asking XD And I'm glad that you enjoyed seeing them in a more peacful setting. I wanted to give Misami a littel time to feel happy and relax for a change. Since she's gone through so much these last few chapters. Plus, there' always the calm before the storm right? Here's to the Thousand Year Blood War! I look forward to your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Bleach or the story ideas in this arc. Now this part of the story is considered an AU, in which my OCs are in the story as the Thousand Year Blood War Arc of Bleach Canon takes place. The things that I own are my OCs and the ideas surrounding them. **

"Shino-san!" Yelled the Soul Reaper Takeshi had let me know about the instant the pair had entered the Human World.

After the note that Daiki had left me, we had no choice but to move. Hoping to catch the Soul Society off guard, we traveled to Karakura Town as stealthily as we could. Nel and Takeshi went about setting up a home for us in an abandoned apartment complex that had been scheduled for demolition, but was delayed. I was in charge of getting resources. We'd been here for about two days or so, and had established our place.

The real challenge was getting set up while also always suppressing our spiritual pressures. Since Takeshi couldn't exactly do that, because of the sheer amount of spiritual pressure that the Arrancar owned, Kisuke had supplied us with more powerful Limiter Gigai. Now, it seemed, that the Soul Society had still noticed us...

_Darn... _I thought to myself as I headed towards the new pair of Soul Reapers as they started to split up, having shed my Gigai before I left the home. They happened to enter this world extremely near our home, so Takeshi wanted me to follow them to see what they were up to.

They both were relatively weak, compared to the caliber of Soul Reaper that I was used to being with. They looked sort of similar, one with a strange sort of hat and a slightly more feminine face and the other having three hair ordinates arranged in a triangular pattered made it easier to tell the two apart from a distance. The one that was wearing the hat, the female, split off to the South and away from our home. So, naturally, I'd followed the one that was heading North and towards the abandoned apartment complex that Nel and Takeshi were currently sitting in.

What I didn't expect was, because I'd made the mistake of only focusing on the male Soul Reaper, to see the guy confronted with a horrifyingly large Hollow with one eye and tentacles growing like hair out of the back of its mask. Then, to have more and more Hollows show up thanks to the male Soul Reaper screaming for help while repeating "I found one!" over and over again. It really as hard to watch and not at least chuckle at how pitiful it was, but I managed to stay focused.

This of course leading the male Soul Reaper to shout out his friend's name just as a large Hollow caught up to him and slashed him down just as he readied his Zanpakuto.

_Seriously...why did they send these two anyway? _I thought to myself, drawing my light blade from my shoulder sheath.

_Maybe their sensors didn't pick these Hollows up for some reason? _Hikari chimed in, _Or this is their first time fighting a real Hollow, and both of them are more of the book-worm type?_

**Or the Soul Society is running low on good fighters with this whole "crisis" Ninja Boy had to leave for, **Hollow Hikari scoffed as I jumped into the air and out of the shadows I'd been hiding in.

I used my Flash Step to close the hundred meter distance in nearly an instant, bringing my sword to bare on the Hollows that were about to eat the two Soul Reapers. The pressure from my sword slicing through the air cut straight through the bodies of the Hollows. Decapitating one and bisecting the other in one swing. I landed in front of the barely conscious male Soul Reaper, not even looking at him as he looked at me.

"So you're what they sent to deal with this?" I said, still looking at the throngs of Hollows that were beginning to approach me because of the smell of blood, "You should really get your act together if you want to kill Hollows. Otherwise, you need to stay in the Soul Society."

"...Wh-Who are you...?" The Soul Reapers said, his voice weak from the blood-loss.

I slashed the air, ending another Hollow as I began to turn my senses to the life forces of the two Soul Reapers on the ground, "Misami Kuchiki. _Exiled _Third Seat of Squad Five."

Just as I finished, the Soul Reaper lost consciousness. As quickly as I could, I slammed healing Kido while stopping momentarily to fire a Hado to keep the Hollows at bay while I stabilized the two Soul Reapers. They were both in severe need of blood, but the small amount of Healing Kido that I was able to give them would definitely keep them alive long enough for me to clear this area of Hollows.

**So, why are we helping this twerp out anyway, Princess? **Hollow Hikari yawned, sounding extremely bored.

I shrugged, "Who knows...But it wasn't these two that got me exiled, now was it?"

**I have _no _idea what you're talkin' about, Princess. **Hollow Hikari sounded a little more awake.

_Of course not, _Hikari said, shaking her head patronizingly.

"Could you two can it?" I said, sighing, "I'd rather not get one-shotted by these things because you distracted me."

_**Pfft, **_**as if a little conversation between your two other halves would distract the great and powerful Princess, **My Hollow said with the heaviest use of sarcasm she could muster.

Rolled my eyes, slaughtering the crowd of Hollows before they had a chance to react with my Flash Step.

* * *

"Ah!" Yuki Ryuunosuke exclaimed, jolting up from his sleep, "Sorry, I wasn't listening!"

A white haired girl looked over at him through the corner of her eye, barely distracted from her lunch, "I didn't say anything."

He looked around the room he was in, nothing registering in his blank mind as to where he was. The floors were bare concrete, with bits of debris and shattered glass swept off into a corner. He was laying in a faded and holey futon next to a window that smelled like an elegant noble girl would, strangely well rested despite his entire body aching.

The white-haired girl had an air of something somewhat scary, like there was something about her that made Yuki want to run instinctively. What was really scary was that she gave off this aura without really seeming to try, her face utterly blank with an almost bored expression. Her eyes were a startling blue, piercing and intense while passively observing Yuki as he averted his gaze from hers. There was a couple of hair pins in the left side of her bangs, one a pair of bones making an "X" and the other a cartoon skull with angrily slanted eyes. She had on a stained white scarf that rose up to touch her chin, it's twin tails flowing out behind her back. Her clothes seemed to suggest that she was from the Rukkon Districts in the Soul Society. There was also a scar under her left eye, just under her cheekbone that ran parallel to her jaw.

Sitting next to the white-haired girl was a beautiful green-haired woman holding a can of green beans and a spoon with a gentle smile on her face. She had a strange red tattoo under her eyes that went across her nose, thickening when it went under her eyes. The air around her was inviting and warm, like she would be able to cuddle with you without a care in the world. Just under that, however, was a feeling of honed instinct and power that far outmatched a vast amount of the beings in all three worlds. Her clothes made it appear as though she was from a lower Rukkon District, the same as the white-haired girl sitting opposite her at the fire.

Next to the woman was a massive man, muscles looking like they were molded by some Greek God, with a very intimidating glare as he looked at Yuki. He wore a holey and faded black A-shirt with equally worn down sweat pants adorned in cracked tribal designs. Unlike the white haired girl with her knee-high boots, or the green haired woman with her beaten up sneakers, the man wore no shoes. His black, hollow eyes were like an abyss that instilled a heavy sense of terror in Yuki's heart that left him breathless.

The three of them were sitting around a cut-down oil barrel with wooden scraps burning in a fire with their hands occasionally reaching out towards its warmth.

After a long period of silence on Yuki's part, the white-haired girl turned back to her food, "Now that you're awake, you can leave."

"Aww, Misami's so mean~!" The green haired woman said, a sly grin on her face as she took another bite of her food.

"I told you he'd be one of those disappointing types, Nel," The massive man said, pulling one of the straps to his A-shirt into place, "He's totally out of it, Misami..."

"Shut up!" The white-haired girl, Misami, said while glaring at the two of them.

Suddenly, a rush from his memories returning threw him into a slightly more than average panic, "Aaaaaaaah!"

"You shut up too!" The Misami's glare turned on Yuki in an instant.

"You-You're that girl from yesterday!" Yuki exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger after having thrown off the futon's cover.

Misami dead-panned, "I guess it would be weirder if you just went along with us. Did you really just figure that out? By the way, it wasn't 'yesterday', it was two days ago."

"Eh..." Yuki looked at the girl while his expression went blank with confusion.

"You slept for a full day!" Misami raised her voice in an attempt to regain the Soul Reaper's attention.

Memories of the encounter flashed before the sore Soul Reaper's eyes. Flashes of Misami rending through the throngs of Hollow with flurries of Hado and blade. None of them even got close enough to use their massive claws and appendages. Those that had ranged forms of attack were either intercepted by quick fires of the girl's Hado, of by the steel of her sword. Then something clicked inside Yuki's brain that didn't quite click with what he'd seen. In these memories, Misami was wearing a tattered pairing of a short-skirted kimono and sleeveless haori that were white with black accentuation along with thigh-high black socks with white sandals. Not to mention the pair of swords that she wore at her waist and back.

_Wow...She destroyed those huge Hollows all in an instant...I heard that the Exile was strong, but to that extent..._

Yuki's thoughts were shattered when his eyes caught sight of a small bowl of what looked like soup, with Misami's words finally reaching his ears, "Here."

"Eh?" Yuki looked at the soup, confused.

Misami sighed, rolling her eyes, "It's your share. It's not as bad as it looks."

"Eh?" Yuki couldn't help but repeat, "...But..."

"What are you waiting for?" Misami said, cocking her head to the side with an impatient look, "You won't be able to eat it like that. Your Gigai's right there."

"Eh?" Yuki looked to where Misami had glanced to with her eyes, finding a very dead-looking version of himself with wide open and empty eyes, "Wahhhhh?!"

"You're really stupid, aren't you?" Misami cocked an eye brow and sighed as she started to move back to her place at the fire, "Who even gets scared of their own Gigai, anyways?"

"N-No, I mean..." Yuki said, trying to slow his pounding heart as the image of his friend appeared in his mind's eye, "Shino-san...Is Shino-san all ri-"

"I'm back," The female Soul Reaper, wearing her Gigai, walked through the threshold to the room they were in, "I got some cola..."

There was a moment of silence as Shino stared at Yuki while holding a plastic bag in each hand, then her eyes started to water, "Ryuunosuke...!"

"Shino-san...!" Yuki said, sitting up and facing towards his friend as she dropped the bags of cola and raced towards him, "I'm so glad you're ok...!"

It wasn't long before Shino dropped Yuki in a neck-tie from where he sat on the futon, "You idiot! Why'd you sleep for a whole extra day when you're wounds were already healed!?"

"Wait, wait! Shino-san, that hurts!"

"Your pathentic if you think this hurts!"

"You think they'd want this extra soup?" Nel said in the background to the two friends reuniting, "I think I'm full."

Misami sighed, "Wouldn't hurt to ask, if we could ask them, anyway...And she dropped the cola..."

Takeshi sighed, "Are they really friends with how much they fight?"

"By the way," Misami said, raising her voice to interrupt the quarrel on the futon. "You didn't tell us your name."

"You're right," A sudden male voice sounded from the window as a figure in a trench coat landed on the futon, "Ivan."

The five heads in the room jerked towards the window to the figure with a range of shocked reactions. Though the three that were around the fire were really just looking at the figure with an almost disinterested look. He had slicked back hair, markings that went from the inner end of his eyebrows up to his forehead. The coat he wore was an immaculate white. He had on a Hollow mask that covered his left eye, having three equally spaced and equally sized holes. His expression was utterly arrogant, as if he believed his very presence would send terror into the hearts of those in the room. Right away, it seemed utterly inevitable that this man, "Ivan", wanted to fight the three Yuki saw sitting around the makeshift fire barrel with stolen canned foods in their hands.

"Oh, did you want my full name? Ivan Azgiaro," He said, pointing his head up to that he'd seem to look down on the three while a smirk cracked from his lips, "Did you have any other questions?"

"I don't know who you think you are," Misami said, looking at Ivan with an almost sinister glint in her eye, "But get off my futon."

"I'm sorry," Ivan said, making a show of putting a hand to his ear, "I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat that?"

"Look," Misami said, looking at the strange man with a half-lidded expression, "I don't like strangers in my room. I _really _don't like strangers that stand on my futon with their _shoes still on_. So do yourself a favor and Get. Off. My. Futon."

He smirked, "I refuse!"

Before anyone could see it happen, Misami had vanished from sight only to reappear before the interloping figure with her foot at the end of a round house kick. Much to Ivan's surprise and to the two Arrancars' amusement, the strange man was launched back out the window he'd entered through. Yuki was still looking at where Misami had been before the frightening display of speed, so he only had the reflexes to see Misami land on her futon from the kick. The rush of wind that ripped through the open floor room sent some of the debris flying. Yuki's initial feeling of fear for the mysterious white-haired girl were now permanently solidified.

"So who was that jerk~?" Nel said, fishing another spoon full of food into her mouth.

"He looked like an Arrancar to me..." Takeshi said, "I didn't really sense anything from him though...no wonder I didn't see him coming."

"Who knows," Misami said nonchalantly as she stepped out of her Gigai, the flesh-suit landing on the futon in a generic sleeping position. "But I don't want him anywhere near this place. I'll take care of this outside."

She stood up that the window sill, her haori and the twin tails of her scarf flowing in the breeze with her equally white hair. Her two swords at her waist and back were adorned with white tribal-esk markings on black scabbards. There were black bandages that were wrapped around here forearms and hands, but leaving her fingers unwrapped. Yuki knew for sure that this girl was the Exile she claimed to be, her white clothing and frighting power leaving its mark on the Soul Reapers that were lucky enough to survive the war with the Vasto Lorde. Those same trademarks were the reason for her nickname, "White Death".

"You have fun with that guy, short stuff," Takeshi said holding up his soup to call attention to it, "I'll help you out once I'm done eating!"

"I'll be done by that point..." Misami grumbled just loud enough for them to hear.

And with that, Misami vanished from sight with her amazing Flash Step.

"Um...Uh..." Yuki said, hugging Shino's waist since the figure had appeared at the window.

"Who was that person...?" Shino said, looking annoyed and confused while seemingly unconsciously hugging Yuki close to her chest.

Nel looked over at the pair, her spoon still in her mouth like a lolipop as she shrugged with the biggest grin, "I wonder?"

* * *

"Is she stupid?" Ivan said, holding his wounded face in his hand with an annoyed expression on his face, "Why would she kick me all of a sudden? It must be because she's..."

"Hey," A dead voice cut of the strange figure before he could finish his statement, "I don't get why you have business with me, and I don't much care. But if you want it settled, then follow me."

"Business with you...?" Ivan said, sounding a bit confused, "Don't be so arrogant! Aren't you the least bit curious as to who I am?"

The white haired girl that the man was talking to stood in the air, looking down on him with a relaxed stance. Her haori, the tails of her scarf, and her hair were swayed by the breeze as she turned her back towards him, "Nope. Let's go."

"Hey, wait!" The man angrily raced after the girl, whom seemed to almost ignore him entirely.

They stopped over an open field, a good distance away from pretty much anything that could get damaged if they were to fight, "So, what's an Arrancar want with three exiles? Come to rub it in?"

"...Arrancar?" The face that belonged to the strange man had a confused expression at first, then adorned a sinisterly amused one soon after.

"Yeah, that what I said," The white-clothed girl said, sighing, "So you're ears don't work, I guess. So what? Aizen somehow sent you after me? How do you think that's going to go?"

"Me, an Arrancar?" Ivan laughed heavily

"...Well at least you heard me that time..." The girl said, crossing her arms as the figure jumped up to her level.

"...I'm not an Arrancar," Ivan said, sounding slightly more serious, the air getting denser as he began to power up.

He lifted his hand, the cuff of his white trench coat opened by his other hand. Misami's eyes slightly widened at the sight of a five pointed star bracelet falling out of his sleeve. Instantly, the strange choice of jewelry seemed eerily familiar, like she'd seen it once before and used in a similar fashion. A five pointed star-like piece of metal that looked like the same one that Uryuu had worn when he fought Hollows with me all that time ago.

The small piece of metal suddenly burst into light, engulfing the entire area in its glow. It blinded Misami to the sight of Ivan's massive weapon forming form the jewelry. Before she knew it, the star had formed into a massive semi-circle shaped arc with four muzzle-like outlets aimed straight at Misami. The white haired Soul Reaper exile, instantly lowered her stance, her hands twitching towards her swords with a paranoid look in her eyes.

"...What's the matter?" Ivan said, grinning victoriously, "Does it remind you of something, Misami Kuchiki!?"

Misami, at the raised voice of the strange new threat and his massively increased spiritual pressure, instantly drew her first blade. Holding the sword before her in a simple two handed grip, she focused all her senses on the one that called himself "Ivan Azgiaro".

Before Ivan could have the chance to attack with his strange weapon, Misami struck like a viper.

* * *

"Why are we in the East 64th Rukkon again?" An antsy member of Squad Eleven grumbled, "There's no one here!"

"That's the point, idiot," Ikkaku Madarame said with an annoyed twitch of his face.

"...There's really no one here..." Yumichika said, sweeping his gaze over the empty Rukkon District, "Some people were still left when I got the report..."

"It means that things are progressing..." Ikkaku said, as if the squad mate he had been talking to hadn't said anything at all.

"Maybe they got scared and ran away? It's not like they'd _want _to stay somewhere where people disappear for no reason."

"If they'd moved anywhere, the Twelfth Squad would've known. They'd report it to us since we're out here," Ikkaku said, scanning the area for signs to what happened.

"Third Seat Madarame! Fifth Seat Ayasegawa!" A stern looking squad member with a scar across his forehead called, "I searched everywhere, but I couldn't even find a child!"

Yumichika looked towards the squad member then muttered to Ikkaku, "Everyone disappeared, together with the village...so mysterious. It's as if..."

"Don't be stupid," Ikkaku cut his friend off, "I'm not gonna let this matter settle that easily."

A long faced, tired looking squad mate with thinly rimmed glasses stepped up to the two ranking officer's of the Eleventh Squad.

"What? Is there more?" Ikkaku said, looking the man in the eyes.

"Actually..." The squad mate said, a small drop of sweat rolling down his cheek, "There's something that I'd like to show you..."

The two seated members of Squad Eleven followed the man, walking through the ghost town of a village. The sky was as empty as the District they were searching, the expressions of confusion and frustration melding into one as they continued. When the squad member stopped abruptly, Ikkaku and Yumichika both looked around in an attempt to find what the man was trying to show them. That is, until they looked down and saw a strange sight.

Despite the fact that there was absolutely no one here, there were a mass of foot prints in the sands all converging to one point before they stopped in one location. Some were made with sandals, some with bare feet. All the trails ended in that one location.

"Footprints..." Yumichika said, sounding slightly troubled, "They all end here..."

"It doesn't look like they went somewhere," Ikkaku added, his fist slightly clenched, "It looks more like they were all gathered here to be taken somewhere else... Did you notice, Yumichika?"

"Yeah," The Soul Reaper responded, "None of these are made by Hollows...So some of the Rukkon Souls took away the others?

The squad mate's eyes widened, "...What does that...?"

"To find that out is our job!" Ikkaku suddenly said, cutting off the long-faced Soul Reaper, "Search the place! There might be other clues!"

"Yes sir!" The surrounding members of the Squad responded in unison.

* * *

The blast surged towards me, but didn't even touch me after I sliced it in half with my sword. The energy that was left over from the blast, bloomed out behind me and slammed into the ground below. I couldn't really understand why, if Ivan had a Quincy bow, it would turn out like such a strange cannon. The things that he fired at me were pretty strong, at least for the expectations that I had for him at first. Really, more than anything, I was annoyed that he interrupted my meal by standing on my bed and I just wanted to see him leave.

Ivan, the Arrancar look-alike, was laughing like a maniac as he fired at me over and over again. The muzzles charged all at once, firing at the same time and zooming towards me. I dodged two, slashing the remaining two without much effort.

"What's the matter, Misami Kuchiki!?" Ivan roared, laughing menacingly as he fired again, "Is dodging the only thing that you can do?!"

_Does he really think taunting me will work? _I thought to myself.

"At this rate, you'll have to use your Bankai to beat me!"

_I guess he does...Whatever. It's not like he really thinks that he can win against my Bankai with something like that._

_What does he think he's trying to do? _Hikari said, sounding confused.

**What's that got to do with anything? **Hollow Hikari said, sounding excited. **This is your chance to shake off some rust. Where he comes from, there's probably more. And there's gotta be stronger ones than this loser, right?**

_Are you going somewhere with this? _I asked, barely moving to the side to dodge another weak blast from Ivan.

**I say give him what he wants. **My Hollow said, chuckling, **Send a message to these losers that it'll take way more than this guy to phase you. **

_It's a trap, I know it... _Hikari said, sighing, _But she has a point. There's a possibility that you can kill this problem before it becomes too hard to handle if you make a show of force here. I don't like it, but I trust that this strange man can't do much against you're Bankai._

_If you two say so... _I thought back.

"Ban..."

The masses of spiritual pressure I commanded gathered as I readied myself for its release. I drew my second blade, catching Ivan's attention. The swirling, sinister black and white spiritual pressure that belonged to me began to block my vision slightly, but I could clearly see the glint in Ivan's eyes as my swords entered my body. As the steel pierced my skin, I was engulfed in spiritual pressure. The power of the release ripped away the midriff of my kimono and haori, the three massive claw scars that marred my skin in that area in full view. The white of my clothes turned to black, like the darkness within me had come out and saturated anything resembling purity. Black wings spanning fourteen to fifteen feet across sprouted from my shoulder blades, seething with a dark energy that killed any feeling of positive energy. Black, tribal-like demon markings appeared on my arms starting from my wrists up. They went around, even accenting, the tattooed "23" on my right shoulder, as if to show off the fact that that tattoo was one of the symbols of my guilt and darkness. The black bandages I wore around my forearms and hands loosened so that they floating above my skin while still circling my limbs. In the space between them and my skin, black Feudal-era Japanese gauntlets appeared and the bandages tightened themselves around the new armor. The same thing, excluding the bandages, happened to my shins and an angular shoulder pad appeared over my left shoulder. Finally, my left eye began to glow a sinister crimson.

"...Kai," I finished, the swirling dark spiritual pressure from the release still surrounding me.

Just as the spiritual pressure cleared, my eyes looked up in confusion. There, where Ivan had been, was a massive "X" shape with a bullseye shape in the middle of the cross. The power I commanded whispered to me like the songs of the damned, in eerie whispers that would have driven most insane, telling me that whatever the strange thing was wouldn't do me any harm. Though this felt like the first time I had really heard these voices, I felt strangely safe in assuming that the voices wouldn't lead me astray. So, with that information in mind, I simply stared up with a death glare at Ivan as it surged towards me like the maw of a shark.

"What is this?" I couldn't help but say in a bored tone, the strange attack covering Ivan from view as it suddenly shot out more than ten beams of like in the shape of a cage.

"Melt," Ivan suddenly said, strangely calm, "Sea, become clouds. clouds, become rain. Rain, become mist. All things that have a shape, vanish. At the end of our joy we throw the cup to the ground."

I grunted at a sudden pain that hit me at the sound of Ivan's chanting, like whatever he was casting was messing with something that shouldn't ever be touched.

"Now!" Ivan suddenly yelled, eyes wide with the promise of victory.

An incredible weight slammed into my small frame, making the air around me and my body itself feel much heavier. It felt as though the air was trying to force itself into my body, or that my power was trying to try and escape me. I grit my teeth, tightening my grip on my swords as if that would stop whatever was happening from taking away my strength. The gauntlets that I had on my forearms cracked, my eyes shooting towards them at the sound of the armor giving way.

I found myself tired of letting Ivan do whatever he wanted with this strange spell, and slashed at the air with one of my swords. The air around me, which had been cloaked in darkness by the bars of the spell, shattered like I'd broken a massive pane of glass.

My eyes looked into Ivan's surprised and scared gaze as I aimed my fingers in the position of a low class Hado, and the Hollow energy began to gather.

His eyes widening even further as he realized that I was still a Hollow-Soul Reaper hybrid, Ivan tried to get away from my attack. The black, white accented ball of erasing energy only continued to gather at a terrifying rate, swirling before my fingers.

"That's..." Ivan said, trying in vain to dodge the attack, "...Impossible!"

"Cero," I said, my voice dead as the beam launched with its tell-tale sound ringing through the air.

The blast slammed into Ivan's arm, chest, and head on his left side as he tried to dodge to the right, "Gahh!"

Smoke trailed from the strange man as he continued to the right, the burns from the attack making him appear almost zombie-like, "Why?! Why won't your Bankai vanish!?"

What he said piquing my interest, I used my speed to appear behind him and leveled a sword to his neck. The dark energy of the blade aggravated his wounds as I spoke, "Vanish? Care to explain what you mean?"

Ivan only turned to my with wide eyes.

"You were only a pest before," I said, almost breaking my composure to sneer at him, "But now you're going to come with me."

"Crap..." Ivan said, seeming to summon a man shaped shadow before him in the sky.

With a beat of my wings, I shot backwards even though the voices told me that I had nothing to fear. I stared on as Ivan began to vanish into the shadow.

"Don't worry," Ivan said, looking at me through the corner of his eye, "This shadow...only hides...the chosen ones..."

The shadow collapsed around him, then exploded, causing darkness to spread everywhere in the nature of a blast. It left nothing to be seen, as if the man had only existed in my mind. The cracks in my armor said otherwise, as my mind raced to try and figure out what it was that Ivan had used to escape his fate. I grit my teeth, the nature of my Bankai shortening my temper with anger.

"...He's gone..." I said, the anger actually in my voice as I spoke, "Crap!"

_You two see that? _I thought to my Zanpakuto.

_I think we both did...we felt it too, _Hikari said, sighing.

**Yeah, it tried to suck us outta you, Princess, **My Hollow said angrily, seeming to be highly offended. **I want to beat the crap outta him now!**

_Did you notice too, Master? _Hikari said, sounding worried.

_Yeah, _I thought back, tightening the grip on my swords, _That wasn't a Garganta by a long shot...This guy was definitely something other than an Arrancar..._

* * *

"So late..." Yuki said, nibbling on a small piece of bread that the two scary Arrancars gave him with his food.

"What're you talking about?" Takeshi, the massive male Arrancar said, spooning another mouthful of food into his mouth.

"Of course Miss Kuchiki!" Yuki yelled exasperatedly at the Arrancar, shaking his hands in balled up fists, "Weren't you supposed to help him?!"

"The weirdo's spiritual pressure's already gone," Takeshi said, not even stopping his ferocious eating, "Misami's would never lose to a weakling like him. I wasn't gonna move from the start."

"...I actually wanted to help..." Nel said, barely audible as she mumbled.

"What was that, Nel?" Takeshi said.

"I'm back," Misami said, appearing in the window with her swords sheathed.

Yuki watched as she dropped from the window and vanished. Reappearing where she once was, wearing her Gigai as if nothing had happened. As she began to nibble on her lonely piece of bread, there was a sound that came seemingly from no where. Misami stopped eating, shooting a look of interest over to the meek Soul Reaper. Yuki smiled nervously, trying to cover up the source of the strange noise. Takeshi paid him no heed, seeming to not care in the slightest as he continued to eat.

"Welcome back, Misami!" Nel said with a beaming smile.

"Good to be back," Misami said as if it were the routine thing they said, giving the green haired Arrancar a small smile then turning back to Yuki, "...What's that weird noise?"

"Ah," Yuki said, trying to play it cool, "That's just my Soul Pager."

"Wait a sec," Shino said, looking over to her counterpart, "That voice kind of sounds like..."

"Sorry if it's weird," Yuki said with a nervous laugh, holding up the Soul Pager, "It's my ringtone of Shino-san humming."

"I knew it!" Shino said, eyes wide in a mix of embarrassment and anger, "When did you even record that, creep?!"

"Isn't it horrible?" Yuki said, letting out another nervous laugh, sensing the upcoming beating from his friend, "Especially after this part, and she goes higher..."

"Shut up and answer it already!" Shino said, slamming her fellow Soul Reaper in the head multiple times.

With his face already swelling from the hit, Yuki answered the call, "Yes, I'm Yuki...Yes, exactly. Yes."

The group looked over at Yuki as he responded to the call, most blatantly confused as to how he could calmly answer an important call without sounding like he'd had he head caved in by a Soul Reaper's fist. Misami, adjusting her scarf as well as her shirt's over-sized collar, simply watched from the corner of her eye as she started to eat again.

"EH?!" Yuki suddenly exclaimed with worry and confusion, his eyes wide.

The massive outburst, with respect to the calm way he used to be talking to his superior, caught the rest of the rooms undivided attention. Misami even turned her body around she wouldn't have to crane her neck around to watch the meek Soul Reaper male. Each small phrase Yuki used to respond to the phone was gradually more and more solemn and scared, even sad.

"Eh...but...Eh...?!" Yuki continued to respond, "Yes...yes...I see...yes...yes, well...yes..."

"So what happened?" Misami said, walking up to the Soul Reaper with a small piece of bread that fit in her equally small hand.

"I'm sorry, Miss Misami," Yuki said, a dead look in his eyes as he stared at his feet, "...But I was ordered to return to base immediately...For a funeral."

"For who?" Shino asked, readying their things.

"Squad One's Lieutenant, Choujirou Sakakibe..." Yuki said, his voice now as dead as his eyes, "Died."

* * *

"Report," Soi Fon said, pacing furiously before her chair with her Lieutenant silently bowing before her.

"Ma'am," Daiki said, keeping his head down, "The enemy seems to be an unknown power with the capabilities to enter and exit the Seireitei with complete disregard for the barrier surrounding it. Their individual identities are also unknown, and were wearing white militaristic cloaks and faceless black masks when they forcibly entered the barracks and offices of Squad One. After defeating the members, as well as mortally wounding the Lieutenant of Squad One, the group proceeded to meet with the Head Captain long enough to make a declaration of war before vanishing."

"I didn't ask for the chain of events, Lieutenant of Squad Two," Soi Fon said, Daiki noticing that she was letting her frustration getting the better of her for a moment, "I asked for what you have found!"

"Yes, Captain, sorry, Captain," Daiki said, lowering his head to the ground before continuing, "I found strange things in the Rukkon Districts, masses of souls disappearing at a point where all their foot prints lead. I confirmed that there was not a trace of Hollow at the scene, leaving the event with an unknown cause. May I speak freely, Captain?"

"Granted," Soi Fon said, trading pacing for sitting in her chair.

"I think that the two might be connected, Captain," Daiki said, rising to stand, "Something like this doesn't happen with out a cause, and the timing has to be more than coincidental."

Soi Fon nodded, "I can see where you're coming from, Daiki...But we obviously can't go to the Head Captain with just speculations. We're going to need evidence if we are going to suggest something like that."

"Yes, Captain," Daiki said, nodding.

"I'll tell you my thoughts Daiki, since I know you won't tell a soul," Soi Fon said, closing her eyes and resting her cheek on her fist.

"Ma'am, I'm honored you think so," Daiki said, bowing his head in reverence.

"I have a bad feeling about this entire situation. There are too many unknowns, the enemies are too coordinated and well trained. If my feeling is right, and I hope that it isn't...

We'll be at war again within the week."

* * *

"..." I laid awake in my beat up and patched up futon, unable to fall asleep.

There was no reason they would inform Yuki or Shino of that funeral, making them come back from a mission, other than to inform the three of us about it. Not that I was acting all high and mighty about being important enough to warrant the attention, but the two Soul Reapers were far too inexperienced and untrained to be doing anything other than Hollow elimination missions. That being said, they had to have been told that the two of them were with the three of us to begin with. Could Yuki have used his Soul Pager to tell the Soul Society that he had made contact with the Exiles that they were searching for? Or had the Soul Society already sent another member of the Punishment Force to spy on us?

_Either way you look at it, Master, _Hikari said, sighing, _The murder of the oldest standing Lieutenant without even a single enemy casualty does not look good._

**The Stiff's gotta point, **My Hollow chimed in, **Like it or not, Lieutenants are given their badge for a reason. And that old guy was serving under the big shot Captain for as long as anyone could remember.**

_I think something bad's going to happen soon, I can feel it, _I responded, sitting up as I gave up on trying to sleep.

Takeshi stood before my futon, looking like he couldn't decide whether or not to wake me up. Seeing as I was sitting up now, his choice was made for him as he looked at my urgently in the moonlight. I looked past him, Nel still sitting on the window still manning sentry duty. She looked peaceful, at least, the moon light hitting her at just the right angle to highlight her beauty. That same moonlight was making my white hair seem as if it were glowing. Takeshi looked impatient, pensive, as if he was almost nervous about something.

"We got to go," Takeshi said, a little too quickly for how little sleep he _should _have gotten, "They're watching us, I know it."

"And we just got here too," I said, sounding resigned as I began to pack my stuff without question.

"What, no begging me to stay?" Takeshi said, sounding oddly relieved that I didn't fight him on the subject.

"Even if I did, you would pester me so much that staying would be more stressful than leaving," I said, sighing as I finished packing the meager amount of belongings that I owned.

Takeshi nodded, "You're probably right...sorry about that..."

I shrugged, "Well get the Mrs. Takeshi packing too."

Takeshi deadpanned, "You're too used to making fun of couples...I can't _wait _until you have a boyfriend..."

"I doubt that'll ever happen anytime soon, big guy," I said, winking at him.

The Arrancar growled, rolling his eyes as he went over to his green haired love interest.

I took out the single Soul Candy that Kisuke had given to me, the same one that I had used for my mission as a member of Squad Thirteen, and was then jettisoned from my Gigai. The bubbly substitute soul looked at me with a beaming smile and a salute.

"Heya, Master~" She said, her smile so broad that she closed her eyes, then opened as she looked at me, "Gee, you look pretty at night time!"

I looked down, seeing that the white parts of my outfit and body were practically glowing dimly in the moon light, "Thanks?"

"Still as awkward as ever~" The shell of me said, keeping her smile, "Seriously, you need to shake off the rust if you wanna stay un-socially awkward, Master~"

I felt a little red flush to my cheeks, "A lot has changed..."

"Hey," She said, "Ya still have Takeshi, Ichigo, Rukia and Byakuya! That'll never change, right?"

I gave her a small smile, "Thanks...Alright, I'll see you next time I come to the World of the Living?"

"You betcha, Master!" She smiled, heading off to take the Gigai she now wore to Kisuke's shop.

I looked over to the beat up futon that had been my bed for the last week. Yuki, the Soul Reaper foot shoulder that was sent the the World of the Living, had slept her for two days straight. He had mumbled on and on about things that he liked, people, and some embarrassing stuff that he probably didn't want me distributing. I envied him, just enough to the point that it made me sort of sad. He was weak, seemingly useless, skittish and a pushover. I didn't know much about his past, since his counterpart Shino didn't let me know anything because of who I was. But he had something that I had lost, something that I wanted to have back so badly it hurt. If I said it outloud, I might have started to cry, which would probably worry Takeshi and Nel greatly. The thing that he had that I didn't was a home.

What pained me the most was that I had a wonderful home, full of food and luxuries that the normal person wouldn't even dream of experiencing on a regular basis. That was taken away from me, now, and the only thing that I can do is think about those happy days that I spent in the Kuchiki Mansion. The days I spent training to be a Kuchiki, to be a family member, and to be a Soul Reaper. I could only hold onto what I could remember, and try to keep those memories fresh in my mind as long as possible. Before, that is, they all faded into grey.

I shook my head, trying not to accidentally make myself cry. I sat at the window sill, my legs dangling off of the edge. I kicked at the air like a bored child, staring out into the starlit sky. The lights of the distant stars twinkled like diamonds against a black-blue canvas. The full moon, the heavenly body that I was named after before becoming apart of the Kuchiki Clan, sat in that same sky. It hung there, looming over the streets and corridors of Karakura Town and bathing me in pale white light.

It was so beautiful that I actually started to cry then.

* * *

Three figures approached the pillars of smoke that were rising into the black skies of Hueco Muendo.

A girl with white clothing and hair and two Arrancars that the world of Hueco Muendo had come to look at as it's royal family of sorts. The King was the massive Arrancar known as Takeshi the Ripper by the Soul Society. Its Queen was by his side, the former Tres Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank. Walking between the two was the girl, her haori, scarf, and hair all pure white. She for the massive damage that she had done to the Soul Society, despite the fact that most believed that she had not done that of her own volition, was known to all by the code name "White Death", Misami Tsukino Kuchiki.

The three of them were walking through the sands of Hueco Muendo, scanning the area for both challengers and a place to lay their heads. However, the pillars of smoke rising into the air, as well as the smell of death wafting from the area, drew them towards it. Now the majority of Hollows moved away from their defacto rulers, their power unmatched by the remaining Arrancars and Espada from the Winter War, as they slowly drew closer to the scene.

"You sense that?" Misami said, stopping.

"Sense what?" Takeshi said, turning to the short Soul Reaper-Hollow Hybrid.

"It feels like..." Misami said, her voice growing distant, "That weird guy from earlier..."

"You mean Ivan?" Nel said, smiling.

Misami nodded, "But there's way more of it."

"Anything else?" Takeshi asked.

"There's a lot of dead Hollows," Misami said, gazing into the distance, "There's maybe one or two dozen that are still alive..."

"Doesn't sound good," Takeshi said, then suddenly chuckled, "I bet they're a blast to fight, though!"

"Let's at least stake them out first okay?" Misami said, then grinned, "First one there has dibs on who fights who. Go!"

And suddenly, the three of them were gone from view.

Reappearing miles away, the three suppressed their spiritual pressure and lowered themselves behind a shelf of rubble.

"First, I win," Misami stated with a smirk.

"Cheater, I bet you used Flash Step and Sonido at the same time...Or that Shikai of your's..." Takeshi grumbled.

Nel appeared a second later, her gaze on their surroundings silencing the two others.

The smoke came from the completely destroyed buildings, whatever they were for, the three of them had no idea. Corpses of Hollows and Arrancars littered the area around them, the smell of freshly spilled blood slamming into their senses. Misami stared at the scene, a look of fear crossing her usually stoic and indifferent features. It seemed as though the image of corpses strewn about like trash was something that she didn't want to think about, like she was afraid to even think about it. Takeshi looked over to the white haired girl, shooting a glace at Nel. Nel was already muttering things in Misami's ear to keep her calm and collected. The sounds of an army moving, shouting and footsteps making up most of it, reached their ears soon after.

"What happened?" A male voice asked.

"Um..." A solider said, sounding unsure, "I thought that I saw something over there..."

"No way," The first soldier said, dismissively, "Everyone's here, and the only thing that's left over there are corpses. It's just your imagination."

"...I guess so..." The second one said, sounding slightly unsure.

Misami, having placed a Bakudo hiding them from sight, whispered to her friends, "Looks like we're in the clear."

"Were we _that _noticeable?" Takeshi said, sounding as if he couldn't believe that they were spotted in the first place.

"They must be dumb then," Nel said, smiling.

Misami looked back at the destruction they were hiding in, and the sight of the corpses seemed to give her a chilling idea, "Maybe...They know that there's no one here because they killed them all..."

"Sounds about right..." Takeshi said, not really having much else to say as he saw the troops begin to move the remaining Hollows elsewhere, "Well...Might as well save these guys. Could be useful to have halfway decent Hollows that owe us their lives, right?"

"...Yeah, lets go," Misami said, dispelling the Bakudo and moving into cover.

The three of them moved through the shadows, making sure to be extra stealthy in their approach of the interesting new enemy. Misami lead the way, crouching low under rubble that was also big enough to Takeshi and Nel. They moved quickly into a position that they could both see what was going on while also not being seen themselves. They reduced their spiritual pressure. Misami re-casted the Bakudo, concealing them that much further so that they wouldn't be seen by any other enemy that they couldn't sense.

Across from their position was a semi-circle shaped wall that was somehow still standing. The upper edge that reached for the black skies was jagged and broken, a crack or two running down to the ground. It seemed to have been the wall to a part of the former building that had a dome for a ceiling. Regardless, the wall was massive and had one or two dozen figures in ragged cloaks. And those figures were heavily guarded, by men that all wore white militaristic cloaks and uniforms. They almost seemed like the bleached versions of the Nazis that Misami had learned about in her classes in the World of the Living. These men were wielding large poles with flags on them, like the poles that Soul Reaper guards had at the Kuchiki Manor.

"In a line!" A soldier, seeming to be a sort of squad leader, "You must stand with the wall behind you!"

Misami looked over to the side, seeing an intimidating man with circular spectacles and a military cap. His uniform was slightly different in its make up, namely the the shoulder cloak that only went down to his upper arms. That uniform seemed to be in better care than that of the other foot soldiers, more starched and pressed. The look that he had on his face, one of absolute authority over the space before him, as well as the fact that he had an aide whispering things into his ear, told Misami instantly that this man was the commander. If not the entire army, then definitely for this region. The three of them didn't know how much this new threat reached, or how bad things really were in Hueco Muendo, but they new that this massacre had to be stopped. If not for the sake of justice, then at least having other beings to fight later on.

"Hurry up!" The squad leader said to the Hollows, possibly Arrancars from the looks of things, "It takes nothing to put a few more holes in your bodies!"

There were two cloaked figures, largely smaller in build and height to the other figures, seemed to be mumbling to one another as the commander rose from his seat.

Grabbing a elongated spear from an aide that was standing guard next to him, the commander moved forward until he was in front of the procession of Hollows and Arrancars. He stood at attention, scanning the lined up Hollows, the same look of superiority on his face as he did. The two cloaked figures were still whispering to them selves, not noticing the commander's approach. The rather tall commander, knee high boots with his trousers bloused, raised his spear from where it had rested on the ground by its pommel.

Then he slammed the pommel of the long weapon down into the densely packed sands, the booming of the impact silencing the two cloaked figures as well as the rest of the Hollows' chatter. Now those predatory, beady eyes of the Hollows were staring through the shadows of their cloaks at the commander.

"Order! Order!" He projected his voice, sounding as high and mighty as he looked, "We will now hold a big selection tournament for both Hollows and Arrancar! Who will live? Who will Die?!"

The Hollows' full attention was now on the commander.

"Starting from the right side, I will stab you to death one after the other!" The commander yelled, no fluctuation in his voice, "Do you absolutely want to live?! Do you absolutely want to become our comrade? Then kneel in front of my and ask by licking my shoes!"

Misami could feel her hatred for the commander already growing inside her, only continuing to grow as the commander went on.

"You were all chosen for your luck, strength and intelligence that allowed you to survive our first strike! Please by all means, don't avoid this second chance!"

The commander then went up to the first Arrancar one the right, and looked at him right in the eye.

"...will..." The Arrancar said, seeming to be slightly unsure, but still seemed to smirk a bit, "...Will I be saved if I say that I want to join you right away?"

Instantly, without hesitation, the commander impaled the Arrancar without much effort at all. The blade of the spear went straight through the Arrancar's chest, below his Hollow hole. Blood gushed from the mortal wound, the Arrancar's regenerative abilities seeming to have no effect whatsoever. The Arrancar coughed up more blood before falling to the ground, his last breath wheezing out of his chest. The other Hollows looked over at the dead Arrancar, seeming to realize that it wasn't going to be as easy as they had thought. Misami's rage was only growing at this point, boiling up inside her and testing her self-control to the max.

The commander turned to the remaining Hollows, moving down the line to look at his next victim, "Ok! That's not how it works! You all must undergo an 'Admission Test' in the order you appealed! This selection is what gives you the chance to apply for it!"

The commander then proceeded to impale another victim, despite the fact that the Arrancar had not even been given the chance to speak what he desired. "Any one that didn't understand what I just explained will end up like this! Like this! Like this!"

With each repetition of the phrase, another Hollow or Arrancar fell to the blade. The soldiers guarding the Hollows were mumbling among themselves, their faces showing their confusion at their leader's actions. The rage that was building up in Misami reached a point where Takeshi had to hold her back with his immense strength to keep the Hollow-Soul Reaper Hybrid from attacking the unknown enemy before them. Something that Misami noted, despite her enraged state, was that the soldiers must have had the impression that they were supposed to keep some as prisoners. They looked at the seemingly pointless slaughter as something that wasn't a part of the mission, not as something that was wrong. Of course, that only worked to make Misami that much more angry.

The sounds of Hollow after Hollow dying by the spear echoed through the stale air of Hueco Muendo. They all seemed to get more tense as the commander approached their place in line. There was, however, the exception of the two cloaked figures that were whispering to each other earlier. These two were not tense for the sake of nervousness. The feeling of readiness was coming from their spiritual pressures, from what Misami could tell. It was enough to allow Misami to calm down in order to see what the two of them would do when the blade was pointed at their hearts.

"What are we going to do?" Nel asked, looking over to the other two.

"As soon as we figure out what this guy is hiding, we'll attack," Takeshi responded then look at Misami, "I can't believe she wants to fight these guys more than me right now..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Takeshi," Misami responded, not looking away from the scene before her.

"Oh, I know you do-" Takeshi said, but cut himself of as there was a quick movement in his peripheral vision.

The right of the two figures had dodged to its left, barely getting missed by the spear that would have ended its life. Just as quickly as that happened, the figure managed to grab hold of the spear's shaft as it passed by. The other figure swung at the spear's shaft, a hidden sword glinting in the moonlight as it did so. The spear broke, sending the commander slightly off balance as a result. Just at that happened, the one that was wielding the sword lurched forwards, until its blade hovered over the commander's neck.

The man's expression was only a little surprised, not frightened in the slightest.

"Captain!"

"Captain!" Responded the soldiers around them as they watched the scene unfold.

"It took you too long to say 'Captain'," The 'Captain' said, looking away from the figures to his men. "This is...weird. I thought we collected all their swords, didn't we?"

"Yes sir..." The closest solider responded, "That we definitely checked...where could they have hid them...?"

The two figures made a sharp move, tossing aside their cloaks. What was revealed was the two aides to Aizen. Misami's mind was instantly confused. This was the first time meeting the two of them, and she wanted to save them. At the same time, she wanted to hate the both of them to her very core for the fact that they served Aizen willingly. They looked the same as the pictures and descriptions that Misami was given of them from the Winter War. Misami, against her gut, decided that she would give the two of them the benefit of the doubt before she would decide to hate them. Maybe they were brainwashed or didn't know all the horrible things that Aizen had done before he made them into Arrancars.

"I'm Lord Aizen's aide, Loly Aivirrne!" The one with pig tailed-hairtyle, a rather revealing Arrancar outfit, and a Hollow mask covering her left eye said.

"I'm the same, Menoly Mallia!" The one with short, tomboyish spiky blonde hair, a more conservative Arrancar outfit, and her Hollow mask the same way as her friend but on the right eye, said, "Don't think someone like you can beat us!"

The captain stared through his tinted spectacles at the pair, not even concerned with the blade that was hovering over his neck. Misami watched as a familiar five-pointed star handing by a chain at the captain's belt began to glow. It was extremely quick, and Misami only spotted it by chance. She barely had time to speculate on what was going to happen next before a sheathed sword appeared in place of the pendant.

In a quick draw slash, the captain knocked away the blade at his neck with the blade hard enough to snap off the end of the offending sword.

"I see," The captains said with a bored monotone.

The blonde was knocked back in the strike, just as Misami noticed that Loly's sword was also half the length that it used to be. Loly, compensating for the shorter blade, lurched forwards to avenge the damage done to her friend. The captain reacted perfectly, slamming the pommel of his sword into Loly's cheek like a fighter would a left hook.

Blood gushed from Loly's face, her nose having been broken from the impact along with her cheek being split, "Guh!"

Before Loly even hit the ground, the captain was already in the process of sheathing his sword and relying orders, "Do it."

"Yes sir!" The soldiers said, already moving as a mass to the two fallen Arrancars.

"Do we kill them?" One asked as he passed.

"No," The captain said, "His Majesty said to collect any idiot with guts. They passed the test. Beat them but don't kill them."

The Captain continued on, most likely back to his seat not too far away. He held his sword before him casually, the blade and its scabbard becoming spirit particles before delineating and vanishing from the man's hand. Misami watched the entire thing happen before her, Takeshi and Nel both uttering their thoughts on the event, even more confused at how she felt for the two Arrancars. They were being severely beaten while they were down by five or six grown soldiers, blood coloring their skin more red than their actual skin tone. It reminded her of those horrifying times in the palace of Las Noches, in the Hollow pits where Aizen would have her run away and try and kill the Hollows that were sent after her and the other test subjects. Those other test subjects' screams of death still would haunt Misami in her dreams from time to time. Yet, at the same time, Misami still wanted to hate them.

"Anyway, I wonder," The captain said, almost to himself, as the sound of pained yelps ringed out behind him, "Aizen must not have been worth that much if he had such people as his attendants. Well, there is the fact that even Tier Harribel couldn't do anything in a fight with His Majesty. I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."

The captain stopped when he heard the sound of yelling and pained voices grew loud enough to be from more than two sources, "...Hey. I said not to overdo-"

The man cut himself off as his instincts took over. Whipping around while standing in place, the captain reached out as a rotating bloodied disk raced through the air towards him. This disk coming from a dying group of his soldiers, the captain's hand clamped down on the disk and stopped it from getting any closer. Soon after that, the disk stopped spinning altogether. He looked almost through the corner of his eye, enough that the shaded spectacles didn't obscure his eyes from view.

With a menacing look, the captain spoke as smoke rose from the friction between the disk and his glove, "...What are...you?"

The three attackers that had killed all the soldiers that had been beating up Loly and Menoly looked at the captain with a collective expression of disgust and anger. One was like a maiden, her hair long and flowing while she wore a dress-like outfit with two belts on her waist that crossed at where her crotch would be. The sleeves of the outfit were much longer with her arms, like a five year old wearing their parents sweater. She, like a maiden, covered her mouth with her hand despite the fact that the hem of the sleeve draped off of her hand almost to her elbow. the remaining parts of her hollow mask covered the right side of her scalp and had a fan-like protuberance from the top of the forehead outward.

The second was an extremely muscular woman, with a spartan-like and a cape with the remnants of her mask creating two horns on her head. An equally spartan-like sword was at her waist. She also was wearing greaves and gauntlets that matched her quilt. Her hair was curly and below her shoulders. She was tall and had a very masculine facial structure.

The remaining one seemed to be the wilder of the three. One eye was a pale blue, the other was outlined in a light red with a brown iris. She wore segmented gauntlets, one having a disk around the wrist similar to the one the captain caught and the other missing one. Her Hollow mask was reduced to a horn, and a crest that was not unlike that of a spartan's helmet that was aligned with the horn.

"You bad mouth Miss Harribel and not know who we are?!" The one with differing eye color's said, her expression that of a crazed killer. "Underlings know nothing as usual!"

"Tell us your names then!" One of the remaining soldiers said, sounding annoyed.

"Why are you using the plural?" The maiden like one said, glaring intensely at the soldier from behind the other two.

The masculine woman, resting her hand on the hilt of her sword looked at the one shouting at the captain, "Cool down Apacci. Or I'll kill you."

_So the counterattack has started, _Misami thought as the three new arrivals stared down their opponent.


	28. The Battle Between Angels

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm proud to present the next chapter in the story of Misami Kuchiki! I really enjoyed writing this story, and I hope that you all enjoy reading it just as much! Since I have college courses and other things that constantly need my attention it seems that my updating schedule is going to be even more random, so sorry about that! If I really feel motivated (Like when I get reviews or other forms of support), then the writing process and quality of the chapters will come faster! If not, well, then they come whenever I have the time to spare to push through the writer's block!**

**Also, would you all like to see some new art that I drew of Misami to switch up the Cover photo? It'll take a bit, but I was just wondering!**

**On that note: Huge shout out to CcHh, who drew some fan art of Misami during the destruction of Hanging Dog! You can check it out for yourself by typing "Misami Kuchiki" into Deviant Art's search engine! Be sure to give 'em lots of love! **

**Thank you, lizyeh2000, for reviewing! I'm glad you liked it! And yes, the final arc for the story has begun! I'm super excited for this part of the story! I look forwards to your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Bleach, which is owned my Tite Kubo. I do own my OCs, and the original plot points of this story. All rights go to their respective owners. **

"What?!" The one with two different eye colors said, "Who do ya think you're gonna kill, gorilla girl?"

Butting heads with the masculine looking woman, they began to scream at each other, starting with the masculine woman, "I couldn't be talking to anyone else but you! Seriously, I'm gonna beat you, you monkey!"

"As you can see..." The maiden like Arrancar jumped up, seeming to float down the platform of rubble. Landing before the captain of the soldiers, she spoke with her mouth covered by her sleeve, "Mr. Captain, those monkeys are busy fighting. I will be your opponent."

The captain smirked, almost too subtly for even Misami to notice, as the two quarreling Arrancars saw their missing partner.

"Sung-sun, you cheater!" They both screamed in unison, reminding Misami of when Rukia and Ichigo would yell at people for calling them a 'cute couple'.

Misami, Takeshi, and Nel all stared out from their hiding spot, relatively close to the action. From their position, under the mask of Misami's Kido skills, they were able to both see and hear everything while also not being seen themselves. The Bakudo that the white haired girl had cast didn't cancel out sounds, however, and the three of them were also suppressing their spiritual pressure to be on the safe side. Misami was watching the three Arrancars with a hawk-like gaze, analyzing what the new arrivals did to fight against the strange, white clad enemies. Takeshi and Nel were also watching, though one was thinking about how he himself would fight the new threat and the other was thinking about how she was going to get her love interest from getting too carried away, respectively.

"You think they'll be able to do any damage?" Misami asked, directing the question at the Arrancars next to her since they both were much better and gauging opponents that she was.

"The Tres Bestia?" Nel said, cocking an eyebrow, "They were pretty strong as far as Fraccions are concerned. They're actually at each other's throats like three cannibalistic monsters...which is where that name came from~"

"I think they'll chop right through those foot soldiers," Takeshi said, but paused when his gaze fell on the captain standing on the battlefield without a care in the world, "But that guy...They might not be able to do much if he was able to handle those other two Arrancar as easily as he did. I really don't think he'll allow the three new chicks to figure out that they need to work together to stand a chance..."

Misami looked over at the muscular Arrancar, "So there is a brain in that thick skull of your's..."

"Hey!" Takeshi shot Misami a glare.

"Sorry, sorry," Misami said, giggling slightly, "You were so serious, I couldn't help myself."

Takeshi shrugged, "Whatever...Look, there they go."

Misami looked back just in time to see the three new Arrancar slamming through the ranks of their enemies. Blood was flying everywhere as they washed over the new threat like a tsunami. The ones that weren't in their direct line of sight watched their comrades fall with dumbfounded and scared expressions, like they truly thought that these three were monsters. Misami actually found it kind of entertaining to see jerks like them get their butts kicked for once. She didn't know, just like the ones that were Aizen's aides, whether or not to view them as friends or foes.

The one with differing eye color, Apacci, sneezed, then turned angrily towards the Arrancar fighting next to her, "Hey, are you talking about me, Mila Rose?"

"No way! I was completely silent!" Mila Rose shouted back, sounding annoyed as she cleaved through another soldier with her western-style long sword, "Did your ears rot away?"

"Please," Sung-sun said, looking more annoyed than the both of them as she crushed the face of her latest victim with her hands, "How long are you two going to fight? If you're just going to be in the way, then just go home!"

"Wha...what are they?" A soldier said, looking as terrified as his comrades.

Misami caught sight of a lighter haired soldier with wide eyes and a frightened expression as he ran for his captain, "Ca...Captain! They're incredibly strong! We...We should retreat for the time being! Guoh!"

With the sound of the soldier's last pained exclamation, Misami's pupils constricted in anger. The sight of a weaker being being skewered on the captain's extended hand. The man's expression was as neutral as it was from the first time that Misami saw it. Takeshi wrapped his arms tight around Misami's waist from behind to keep her from going anywhere. The Kido that was keeping them from being spotted, flickered slightly from the lack of Misami's control. Nel waved her hand in front of the white-haired girl's face to try and get he attention. Takeshi and Nel looked at each other when this was happening, wondering why Misami was acting so impulsively. Had this happened not even a month before, she wouldn't have shown anything even if she felt it. She had the the longest fuse of every one that the two Arrancars knew, as well as the most patience. Now, however, she seemed to have less patience than an angry drunk. It worried the two Arrancars greatly.

"...I have...a proposal for you," The captain said, raising his gloved hand and extending his index finger. "Capitulate."

"...Ah?" Apacci said, lowering her head to look at the captain menacingly through her brow.

"You're strong!" The captain said, seeming to act like a mad-man suddenly, "That's wonderful! You would become perfect pawns for his Majesty! That's why I don't want to kill you...And suggest that you surrender!"

The three Arrancars that were previously fighting the new enemies stopped as they all looked at the captain with some degree of contempt. They seemed to have their hate for the captain grow with every passing second. Misami started to struggle less, but Takeshi's strong embrace remained. She looked over her shoulder, a pitifully apologetic look on her face as she apparently calmed down. Takeshi, just realizing what Nel was telling Misami had something to do with Rukia and Ichigo, let go of the white haired Soul Reaper.

"Come! Surrender and become part of our army!" The captain continued, a slight smile on his face, "For you...There would be no greater happiness...than what I just said!"

The ground under the Tres Bestia cracked, spiritual pressure from the three sky-rocketing laced with anger. Misami, Nel and Takeshi watched as the three Arrancars looked with fury in their eyes at the captain.

"Don't underestimate us, Four Eyes Monkey!" Mila Rose and Apacci yelled in their rare form on unison.

"Please do not misjudge us," Sung-Sun added with a sinister glare while covering her mouth with a sleeved hand.

"Oh." The captain responded, his voice monotone and bored suddenly, "So you don't want to negotiate?"

* * *

Daiki jumped from building to building, racing across the Seireitei on a summons from his Captain.

He'd been training in the nearest forest, almost two or three districts out when he received the Hell butterfly. Granted, he'd much rather be on his original mission of keeping an eye on the three biggest threats to the Seireitei, as far as the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were concerned. Soi Fon knew that all along, having learned how Daiki's thought process worked through interacting with him. When Daiki thought about it, Soi Fon had seemed to make a real effort in getting to know her Lieutenant. More, at least, than what her original impression would lead one to believe. Daiki simply attributed it to, though not in an arrogant way, the fact that he was about as close Soi Fon was going to get to having herself as her Lieutenant. Excluding Daiki's past, as well as his being male and terse.

"Captain," Daiki said, using a burst of Flash Step to bridge the last gap to his Captain's side, "I apologize for the delay."

"You're early, Daiki," Soi Fon said, her back to her Lieutenant.

They were in her office again, just the two of them. Soi Fon was facing her chair, looking at the cushion with an almost nostalgic gaze that Daiki couldn't see. She crossed her arms, and turned around to face her second-in-command, wiping away that expression before the shadowy Soul Reaper could read her.

"Captain, I will always do my best to not waste your time," Daiki said, lowering his gaze so that their eyes didn't meet.

As per a special request, Daiki's hood was down. If no one was around but his Captain, Daiki was to reveal his face to her in exchange for being able to be the one to watch over the three Exiles. Of course, it was really for Misami, and that was why Daiki agreed readily.

Soi Fon sighed, shaking her head and pressing the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache, "Why couldn't Omaeda be this prompt...Anyway, I just came from the latest Captain's meeting."

Daiki, knowing that Soi Fon allowed him to speak without explicit permission, still hesitated to speak, "If you don't mind the question, Captain, what was covered in that meeting."

"We are to prepare for war Lieutenant," Soi Fon said, looking into his eyes, "And we have less than five days until the enemy strikes."

"Is that what the newest Ryoka said? The Quincy?" Daiki asked, trying to clarify what his Captain was getting at.

"Yes," Soi Fon nodded, turning to the side to begin pacing. "I'm sure you know what that means."

"That we can't take their word for it," Daiki said, nodding, "Would you like me to oversee preparations? Or would you like to oversee them personally?"

"Both," Soi Fon said, looking back at the menacing Soul Reaper assassin, "We will both ensure that all preparations are complete by tomorrow."

Daiki already knowing what that will entail, nodded, "The Squad will be exhausted by the end of it, ma'am. I suggest we implement a shift system, so that groups my take a break and rest."

"Do whatever you have to do, Daiki," Soi Fon said, almost dismissively, "But I want out Squad to be ready to slit those Quincy throats in one day's time."

"Of course, Captain," Daiki said, "It will be done...And, Captain?"

Soi Fon already knew what her Lieutenant was going to ask, "Misami Kuchiki entered Hueco Muendo about four or five days since you last saw her. Our operative just returned from there, saying that she ran into the Quincy during a raid on an Arrancar encampment. It seems that they have already invaded the Hollows' World."

Daiki clenched his fist, "Are we going to ask for her help?"

"Should we?" Soi Fon responded with a question, knowing the indecisiveness of her second-in-command, "Is there a way to ensure that she doesn't end up turning on us during the war with the Quincy? Is there a way that the Soul Society and Central 46 will allow an Exile to return?"

"To ensure her loyalty, being able to return home to her family would be enough," Daiki said, staring at the ground near Soi Fon's feet, "Family is all that matters to her. Having a home to come back to is something that she misses dearly. She talks about it in her sleep...Has nightmares of everyone hating her...I know that she can be trusted, because she's suffering and wants to end it. The way that she knows to end it is to return home."

Soi Fon nodded, waiting a beat to let her Lieutenant's words hand in the air before continuing, "And how do we win over the public's opinion? How are you going to get an appeal from Central 46?"

Daiki looked at the ground, clenching his fist while trying to get an answer. Thinking of vast scenarios where everything went wrong. Images of Misami being attacked by the Quincy and the Soul Society the moment she steps foot on the Seireitei. He knew that the public needed a lie that both matched with the one the Soul Society was told, but also made it big enough that people would believe it. The Wholes of the Rukkon, as well as the Soul Reapers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, were told that the white haired Kuchiki was dead. What could possibly be used to explain a terrifying being like Misami, not only coming back to life but also fighting for the ones that she used to slaughter?

Daiki's mind clicked, and he spoke the idea before he had anytime to think about its validity, "We tell them that she was in intensive care in the Fourth Squad, and was pronounced dead before we could sentence her. However, it seemed as if she was still trying to live. After an experimental device from the Department of Research and Development was used to resuscitate her, she was saved. However, because of the unknown factors that the device had, Misami lost her memory of every incident before she was originally exiled."

Soi Fon looked at her Lieutenant, "Are you saying that we just have Misami Kuchiki act as if she was never exiled from the Soul Society? To pretend to forget everything that had happened to her in this past month?"

Daiki nodded, speaking without hesitation at the questioning of Misami's ability to forgive and forget, "I know that she would do anything to not only forget this past month or two, but also get to be with her family again."

"Fine then, Lieutenant," Soi Fon said, crossing her arms, "I will report your idea to the Head Captain. If he accepts this plan, will be your job to convince Misami Kuchiki of your plan, and to bring her back to us. Until then, start on the preparations for the war. Dismissed."

"Yes Captain!" Daiki said, turning and disappearing in a Flash Step.

When Daiki was out of hearing range, pretty much as soon as he used Flash Step thanks to his affinity for the discipline, Soi Fon sat in her chair. She knew that the days before the war began were going to be the last real bloodless days that the Seireitei would see. Somehow, she knew that the war was going to be a horrible one. It angered her that there was nothing that she could do but prepare for the day it began. It infuriated her that she couldn't take a strike team to take out these Quincies' leader and end the war before it even started.

She shook her head, smirking at the sudden irony that she realized was beginning to dawn on her.

They were about to ask for the help of the biggest mass murderer the Soul Society they's ever seen, possibly granting her full amnesty from the charges against her that could be stacked into the sky.

All of this, because of this newest enemy that was thought extinct.

* * *

Rukia paced back and forth in the Squad Five Captain's room. Ichigo was sitting at his desk, his head propped up on his arm as he stared into the distance, deep in thought. They'd just returned from the Squad One barracks, having a lot to think about.

"Rukia...Are you okay?" Ichigo said, looking at his wife, "You look like you'd seen a ghost."

"Idiot!" Rukia snapped at him, "That phrase makes no sense anymore! You would be that ghost since you aren't human!"

"Well I'm sorry for being concerned for the ones that I love!" Ichigo snapped back.

Unlike their usual bickering and arguing, it died quickly. Both had things that they needed to talk to the other about, but neither knew where to start. Ichigo, reading the situation in a moment of clarity, spoke up again.

"What's wrong, Rukia?" He said, looking at the petite Soul Reaper Lieutenant of Squad Five.

Rukia looked at her husband, sighing like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, "Lieutenant Kira brought up something that we had over looked, and I can't figure out what to do about it..."

"What'd he say?" Ichigo prodded, noticing Rukia starting to think too hard to speak about it.

"He...He said that there was a recent study of the Rukkon's living standards," Rukia said, facing her husband and finally stood still, "That were was no one past District 59 in any direction that had shoes. But the Eleventh Squad's reconnaissance teams found some with sandals in 64..."

"..." Ichigo nodded, a way of encouraging his wife in continuing subtly while not saying a word and keeping eye contact.

"He said that those sandal prints were probably made by Soul Reapers," Rukia said, lowering her head to look at her feet.

Ichigo reclined in his chair, knitting his hands behind his back while looking that the ceiling, "I wonder why Mayuri didn't mention that at the meeting..."

"You mean Captain Kurotsuchi didn't say anything about that?!" Rukia said, seeming to have had something she suspected confirmed.

Ichigo nodded, then changed the subject, "I requested that Misami be taken under consideration for an appeal, or at least a temporary alliance with the Guard Squads..."

Rukia's eyes widened and she ran to Ichigo, stopping in front of his desk as she spoke, "You did? How? Did it go through? What's the latest word on her location? Is she alright?"

"Woah, woah!" Ichigo said, rocketing backward to sit upright in his chair and waving his arms to calm the petite Soul Reaper, "Take a breath, Rukia!"

Rukia blinked, realizing how random the outburst was and sighed, "Sorry, Ichigo...With all that's been happening I haven't been able to meet with Daiki to get an update on her...I miss her..."

"Hey," Ichigo said, giving her a reassuring smile, "She'll be back. I know that she misses you more than you ever could miss her."

"Yeah..." Rukia gave a weak laugh, a small smile on her face, "Yeah, I guess so..."

* * *

There was a massive explosion from where the three Arrancar's and the captain met in battle.

But from what I could tell, it wasn't because the Tres Bestia were beating the strange man with round spectacles and a Nazi-like white outfit. Their Spiritual Pressures were almost non-existent compared to before that explosion. All that remained was the captain's strange spiritual pressure. Smoke rose from the ground as we raced for the scene. Takeshi couldn't hold me back this time, just barely behind me since he had the same idea as I had. I was calmer now, my thoughts clear as we surged towards the battlefield.

I clenched my fists, readying myself for an enemy that I knew very little about. I took a deep breath, knowing that Nel and Takeshi had my back.

"So he beat them after all," I couldn't help but saying the instant we arrived.

The three Arrancars that were fighting the lone captain laid strewn about the rubble like the corpses we'd seen when we first got here. They were bleeding, but still holding on by a thread to life. With their breathing more or less rhythmic, I could at least tell that much.

"A tiny Soul Reaper and two big Arrancars." The captain said, adjusting his glasses as he looked at us, "Now this is curious. However...

The captain lowered his head, looking at me through the corner of his eye with a calculating and menacing gaze. Staring right into my eyes, I could feel the man's killer intent.

...I know who you are. Misami Kuchiki."

"...Right," I said, thinking of Ivan, "That idiot came looking for me too in the end. Not really a shocker that you knew me...and I'm not 'tiny'!"

"Your information was in the Daten, given to us by his Majesty," The captain stated, ignoring my small outburst while looking down on me with little effort, due to the height difference between us, "You were chosen as a 'Special War Potential', to be dealt with right away!"

The man spread his arms, his remaining men surging towards us like a tidal wave of white cloth and weapons. I drew my first sword, planning on testing the man's strength before taking him seriously. Nel and Takeshi, respecting the deal of who got the first fight, which was decided when I won the race here, peeled off to attack the soldiers. Thanks to them, I wouldn't have to worry about anything but the opponent in front of me.

Just as I unsheathed my sword, the captain surged towards me at a considerable speed. In fact, without my being better in terms of speed, I would probably be seeing multiple after-images of him. This guy was fast enough to create clones from his speed, something that needed considerable skill and coordination to pull off. My eyes widened at the realization that this man wasn't just the stronger-than-average leader of men, but an opponent that I would need to be careful around.

Another thing that I noticed was that his technique wasn't anything like a Flash Step or Sonido, both of which I could use at will to a high degree. It wasn't even a Fullbring, something that Ichigo said altered the space around the user or something like that. This technique was something that I'd only seen for myself a few times...When I was fighting alongside Uryuu.

_Hirekyaku, _Hikari said, the name for the technique that Uryuu had said only once to me, _It's the Quincy equivalent to Flash Step and Sonido._

**I can't wait to fight this idiot! **My Hollow said, laughing, **Let's get this started already!**

As soon as the words came from the Hollow's mouth, the bow that confirmed for me that this man was a Quincy, appeared from the three points where his speed clones would have been. There were three of them, and the pale blue reishi that was directed at my heart pulsated in expectation.

I used my Flash Step, at around eighty percent the speed I could achieve, and dodged the simultaneous attacks while diving away. The three arrows slammed together at the same point, as if there were three bows that had fired at the same time.

"So you idiots really are Quincies," I said, looking at the Quincy captain through the corner of my eye.

"Oh?" The Qunicy said, his shoulder cloak bellowing from the blast that he had created as well as the explosions from the fighting that Nel and Takeshi were mixed up in not far away, "Could it be that you came here not even knowing what we were?

...Well...Judging from the way you phrased that comment, you _thought _we were, but weren't _sure _about it. Fine," The captain said, reaching down as the five pointed cross began to glow and form into his sword. He unsheathed the weapon the instant that it formed, power surging from him, "Then I shall answer."

He pointed the tip of the blade directly at my heart. Suddenly, two lines interrupted by four equidistant and evenly distributed circles appeared on the left and right of his blade's hilt. The energy shimmered and focused in on my position. I could feel the power behind the attack, readying myself for the impact.

"As you said," The Quincy captain continued, "We are Quincies. You know us very well. We..."

Just after he fired off his attacks, a stray blast from Takeshi and Nel's side of the battlefield slammed into the ground next to him. He moved to the side effortlessly, what he was about to say lost in the louder noise from the impact. The attack that he'd fired at me surged upwards. I had jumped up to avoid the attack, but he'd somehow known that I was going to take evasive action. The strikes that were aimed at my heart ended up almost hitting my face.

I instinctively had crossed my arms before my face to block against the strike. Thinking quickly I did so while holding my sword in a reverse grip with the blade flush against my forearm. With the way that my blade was positioned, I could then activate a fast acting defensive Kido.

"Bakudo No. 39: Enkosen," I said, the spinning disk of spiritual pressure forming just in the nick of time.

The blast slammed into my hastily formed shield, the smoke that formed from the impact being dissipated by the Kido.

"All hit the mark," The Quincy said, the sound barely reaching me. "What happened to you?! You're not that weak!"

_I guess he doesn't pay that much attention to spiritual pressure, _I thought to myself.

The Enkosen was gone now that I didn't need it any longer, and the smoke began to dissipate. Then the realization hit me.

"...A sword?" I thought out loud as the smoke began to clear, revealing the slightly confused looking expression on the man's face, "Weird. Uryuu said that you guys only used bows."

The man's eyes widened as I appeared to stand in the black back-drop of Hueco Muendo without so much as a scratch.

"Hado No. 4," I said, putting about two to three times the energy that the low level Hado required, the amount of condensed spiritual pressure pulsating and discharging from the pressure, "Byakurai."

Through the tinted lenses of the captain's spectacles, I could see his eyes widen even further as the pale lighting bolt raced towards him. Like my brother, I could force that Hado to behave more like a powerful laser than a lighting bolt. But this lighting-bolt-turned-laser was about twice as big and far more powerful than what was normal.

The pale lightning slammed into the Quincy captain with a massive blast that kicked up a massive cloud of sand and smoke. The man's spiritual pressure didn't disappear, but it was obvious that he took at least a bit of damage from that Hado. I let myself drop out of the sky, letting the air that was beneath my feet return to normal. I landed on the hard packed sands of Hueco Muendo, sticking my sword into the ground and crossing my arms as I looked over to the dust cloud I'd created.

The winds from the impact were blowing my hair, the tails of my scarf, and my haori behind me as I stared at the place where I sensed the Quincy's spiritual pressure.

"How ya doin' short stuff!?" Takeshi yelled over to me, bashing a Quincy's head in while guarding the unconscious Arrancars that we were saving.

"Hado No. 1," I said, deadpanning as I looked at him, "Sho."

Takeshi's side took a hit that would be about the same if I had the time to kick him in the shin, "Hey!"

"I'm not short!" I pouted, my cheeks puffing out in annoyance, "You're just really tall!"

"Looking away from your opponent, Misami Kuchiki?" I heard the voice of the Quincy Captain, baffled and irritated at the same time, "Not wise..."

I turned around, feeling the next attack that the Quincy was about to launch from his bow. Six missiles of Reishi shot out from the smoke cloud that was now starting to dissipate, heading straight for me. I ripped my blade from the ground next to me, assuming a stance the instant I'd felt the projectiles coming for me. The two that were the closest to hitting me from the line that they formed in flight were the ones that I took out. With that space cleared, The other four arrows wouldn't have a chance of hitting anything but dirt or air.

At the last second, I looked behind my back to see that Nel and Takeshi were fighting in the path of the arrows. Muttering curses under my breath, I rushed forwards in a burst of Flash Step and slashed away the remaining arrows.

Without any delay, another volley was sent my way with more power behind it. I concentrated, putting a large amount of condensed spiritual pressure into my blade. The steel began to shimmer in white, wispy spiritual pressure. Then, just was the arrows drew close enough, I slashed horizontally across the air in line with the six new arrows' flight path. The result was a rip-off of Ichigo's signature Getsuga Tensho, a crescent moon shaped blast of white, black accented power that obliterated the projectiles.

My imitation of the attack was not nearly as dense as my former Captain's, but it was still powerful enough to save me the trouble of chasing after stray arrows.

"...I see," The Quincy captain said, the smoke clearing to reveal the man walking towards me while fixing his hair, his cap missing, "When someone is able to cut away, chase down, or outright out match your Heilig Pfeil...You realize how faulty you techniques still are..."

"Why do you guys always have to have such weird names for your arrows?" I sighed, twirling my sword in boredom to distract myself from the urge to brutally slaughter this jerk. "Oh, don't worry, your's have more bite to them than Uryuu's. But it's been a while since the last time I fought him..."

"'Uryuu'?" The Quincy asked, looking sort of annoyed, "Are you talking about 'Uryuu Ishida'?"

"...So you know about him, huh?" I said, inclining my head and stopped twirling my blade, "Just who the heck are you?"

"So Uryuu Ishida's Heilig Pfeil would be less powerful than mine...?" The Quincy captain said, adjusting his spectacles and covering his face, "That's weird."

Now I was both interested and annoyed, looking at the man with a half lidded stare, "...What's that supposed to mean?"

The man put a white gloved finger to his lips, "Oops. Speech is silver. Silence is golden. Pardon me, I spoke a little too much."

I glared at the Quincy with the same expression, "Y'know, for someone that apparently thinks that, you talk way too much, jerk-face."

"It seems that.." The captain began to sheathe his sword, ignoring my comment, "...After this fight I'll have even more things to report to his Majesty."

"'Majesty'?" I sighed, shaking my head, "Seriously, I'm sick of people that serve people that have to be called that. So who is it this time?"

"Answering is pointless," The captain said, the click of his sword inside the scabbard sounding at the end of the phrase, "Why do you need to know? I was just ordered by his Majesty...To defeat you right away. In other words, you're going to die here."

I placed my free hand on my hip, cocking an eyebrow in confusion, "You're kidding me..."

"You don't need information about us," The Quincy Captain said, ignoring my comment and body language, "Well then. It's time I show you...I'm sure you've heard of this power...The 'Quincy Letzt Stil'."

With these words, the Quincy removed the white glove covering his right hand only to reveal that he was wearing another glove under it. The center on the back of the black glove held another variation of the Quincys' star emblem, with white lines running from each digit and the wrist to the symbol. I'd never seen this thing before, but I had a feeling that it had something to do with the release of this joker's power. The center of the symbol on the glove started to glow with energy.

Soon enough, five beams shot out of the openings created between the five points to the star.

The Quincy's form was practically obliterated from view, replaced by a pointed column of spiritual pressure. When the tip of the pillar reached a certain height, a ring of spiritual pressure encircled it. Then a set of four lines perfectly perpendicular to each other sprouted from the pillar and went through the ring. The surrounding area was battered with strong winds and the weight of the man's spiritual pressure. Takeshi and Nel were still mopping up the fleeing Quincy soldiers that had finally realized that it was pointless to resist the two powerful Arrancar, so they trusted me to handle the new threat without even having to look at the fight we were having.

The sands of the Hollow world were threatening to get into my eyes, and I had to increase my spiritual pressure to basically evaporate the grains before they could. I held my sword in front of my body, ready to block any attack that he would attempt from the cover of that massive pillar of spiritual pressure.

What was revealed by the pillar of power was the Quincy's new form.

Square, paper-looking wings spread from his back, a star shaped halo floating just above his hair. There were ringlets of the same material as his wings around his wrists, and his shoes were also looking similarly paper-like and foreign. The whites of his eyes, as well as his irises, were replaced by an alternating pattern of color, making me want to puke from looking at them. The man's smile was as arrogant and irritating as ever.

"Allow me to teach you the name of this form," The Quincy said, gesturing to me like a king to a petty servant, "'Quincy Vollstandig'."

I felt a small bead of sweet roll down my cheek as I grimaced. I stared at the new form of the Quincy with an intense glare. I felt an overwhelming urge to pound this idiot into dust. I gripped my swords tightly, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I honestly would rather do anything else, other than fighting these Quincy's, since this guy seemed to look down on me so much. It made me worry about how I was acting this way, the emotions that were running through my veins were extremely out of character for me.

_Why can't I sense anything? _I suddenly realized, staring at the Quincy.

The grandeur of his form, like a paper angel, gave the impression that it was extremely powerful compared to the others we'd fought before. His smirk was also a giveaway. So why couldn't I sense anything?

"Can you feel it?" He said, interrupting my thoughts, "My pulsating power."

"'Pulsating?'?" I repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

Suddenly, he wasn't where he was an instant before. I reacted instinctively, my senses already looking behind me for my attacker. He seemed too much like the generic type of opponent, who would only use their bursts of speed with surprise to strike the back of their opponent. In fact, I had already predicted where his blade would land.

"The power..." I heard him say, not even having to look to know that he was behind me as he raised his blade, "...Of the one that will punish you!"

And with that, the shining blade of the Quincy fell.

* * *

Takeshi and Nel were just finishing up their fighting when the Quincy activated his new form. The dead and dying frames of Quincies littering the ground at their feet. The five Arrancars that they had saved were now all awake and staring at the two that had saved their lives from the future that the Quincy had in store for them.

The Quincy stared at the girl that he's struck at with his blade. The sword was stopped with the flat of Misami's blade, in the perfect position to stop the entire force of the blow before it could grace her pale flesh. Sparks had flown from the impact between the two swords. The Quincy's eyes were wide with confusion and shock that the white haired girl had been able to stop his attack with such precision, like she'd known exactly where his sword would land.

In fact, she hadn't even looked over her shoulder at all the entire time.

"Who...who is that girl?" Loly, the Arrancar whose hair was up in pigtails, said.

"She...She didn't even turn around...How?" Menoly said, breathless.

"Oh, you don't know?" Nel said, cheerfully. "That's Misami Kuchiki!"

Menoly, Loly's counterpart, looked at Nel with a blank expression, "Is she...the one that defeated that Flamun guy?"

"So you've at least heard of her," Takeshi said, crossing his arms as they watched the two fighters begin to attack each other, "She wiped out an entire Rukkon district in one shot."

Nel looked over at the muscly Arrancar, "You're exaggerating, silly."

"She might as well have," Takeshi said, sighing as he stared at the white haired girl in question as she fired off a Hado at her opponent. "Besides, how would they know any better?"

"You can't just lie to them!" Nel pouted, crossing her arms as well.

"I already did," Takeshi said, sighing, "Obviously, I can then."

"Hey!" The group of Arrancar females present shouted to get the attention of the bickering pair.

"Whoops! Sorry~!" Nel said, giggling, "Anyway, what you need to know is that Misami's on our side!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Apacci said, looking annoyed.

"She's saying she's part Hollow, idiot," Mel Rose said, rolling her eyes, "Seriously, if you can't tell that by sensing her spiritual pressure then you really _are _useless."

"I'm gonna kill you, you jerk!" Apacci growled.

"Both of you calm down," Sung Sun said, still covering her mouth with her large sleeve, "Look at what's going on right in front of you."

The two Arrancars were about to retort at their partner, but realized what she was talking about and stared towards the fight between Misami and the Quincy.

There was dust flying through the air, the shock waves from the impacts more visible as a result as the two of them continued to clash. The white haired Soul Reaper had yet to draw her second sword in response to the new form of the Quincy. Her expression was as blank as a new canvas, her blue eyes focused and attentive. Her haori flapped in behind her like a cape attached to her waist, the twin tails of her scarf and her hair streaming behind her as she ripped through space in her Flash Step.

The Quincy swung with his blade at the girl, going for an opening in her side. He realized, too late however, that it was a faint. Misami swung down, then directed her blade up while twisting with the slash. The end result was the Quincy's sword being almost jettisoned from his grip and creating an opening. While that opening was created with the Quincy trying to recover to a fighting stance, Misami had already finished whipping around like a tornado to lash out at the Quincy's unprotected side. The Quincy, his expression changing to a sort of alarmed look, jerked his body away from the slash before it could reach him. As soon as he did that, however, a sudden force slammed into his chest.

"Hado No. 1: Sho," Misami said with a calm voice, her hand out in an open palm as if at the end of a pushing motion.

The Quincy flapped his wings, and hovered over the air long enough to stabilize before touching down on the sands, "Tch."

The white haired girl was gone already, the dust kicked up from her Flash Step the only indication that she had been there at all. The Quincy's eyes darted left and right, looking for the pure white clothes and hair of the small girl. He suddenly whirled around to face where his back had been, slashed the air with a serious expression. It was also and expectant expression.

The figure that he had been searching for had appeared right when his blade had started to reach her. What the Quincy was not expecting was for his sword to go right though the frame of the girl, only to have the image vanish. Then, just as suddenly, but as stealthily as a shadow, Misami appeared from the side and from above the Quincy's position. Again, however, the Quincy realized his mistake and guarded against the surprise attack just in the nick of time.

"Tch," It was Misami's turn to let out the irritated sharp release of air through her teeth.

The Quincy let out a grunt of effort, pushing the Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid away and charging after her as she flew through the air. Using the fact that the girl was extremely light and small, it wasn't hard to practically send her flying with enough strength. While she was in the air for that short time, however, Misami was vulnerable. She couldn't use her speed as immediately as when her feet were on the ground. She didn't have enough time to concentrate on making the air below her dense enough to stand on and use as a launch point for an attack. The result was the Quincy being able to have a large opening, though with a small time window, in order to damage his opponent.

Misami's eyes widened at the realization, torquing in the air in order to guard against the attack. Spinning at just the right time and speed, Misami avoided the attack while only suffering the loss of an inch off three or four hairs. As those small hairs shimmered under the moonlight of Hueco Muendo's sole celestial body, Misami landed like a ninja. With her sword out and parallel to the ground while she crouched low to the ground with her free hand touching the ground before her for stability, the almost feral look of anger that came from her gaze seemed to be trying to burn a whole straight through her opponent.

The Quincy was definitely keeping her on her toes, obvious signs of effort and caution in Misami's movements. It was impossible to confirm this with her facial expression, since the Quincy was fighting a Kuchiki after all. Even if she was adopted into that clan, the stoic expression that the noble family was known for in the Seireitei was still there.

With a breath to calm herself down, Misami slowly stood up. Her expression turned to her own "Kuchiki Mask". If Byakuya's was apathy, and Rukia's was determination, Misami's "mask" gave off the sense that she was almost bored and barely paying attention.

"You seem confused," The Quincy said, his wings opening as he thrusting forwards with his rapier-like sword. "You must be wondering if Uryuu Ishida has a form like this."

Misami cocked an eyebrow, but otherwise seemed to ignore the Quincy's talking.

"Of course, I can't confirm or deny that," The man said, his attack effortlessly blocked and already aiming for his next target, "But its power is as different from yours like heaven is to earth!"

"Why would Uryuu even want something so ugly...?" Misami said, seeming to cringe at the thought, "If he thought that was a good idea, I might just kill him by mistake."

The Quincy slammed down on the small framed Soul Reaper, forcing her to hold both ends of her blade to maintain her position.

"Ah, okay," Misami said, her voice even yet slightly strained from the effort she was exerting, "Well, it doesn't really matter to me anyways. I only came by to stop you from killing women. Rather tasteless, wouldn't you agree?"

"You make light of me when I have the upper hand?" The Quincy said, looking down as sparks flew between them.

"Your grip is so weak," Misami said, then lifted her index and middle finger from the hilt of her sword and aimed them at the man's chest, the beam charging, "...Cero."

* * *

The sound of the Hollow beam ringing in the air, an explosion ripped through the space between us and I temporarily lost track of the Quincy. The blast of sand from where the beam struck told me that I'd struck home. But with all the dust around me, obscuring my vision while I lost track of the Quincy was making me paranoid. I crouched low, putting power in to my feet and legs for when I would have to dodge this man's next attack. I'd do the same thing if I were him, attack whenever there was a single opening. So, in order to counter that, I had to make sure that I had my openings covered.

_Or, create an opening for him to attack, then ambush him when he least expects it, _Hikari said firmly.

**Gotta admit, that's a pretty nice idea you got goin' there Stiff. Since it ain't the Princess's style to use those tricks, it just might work, **Hollow Hikari said, strangely agreeable with her other side, **I mean, this idiot thinks he knows everything about us, right? So why not use that against them? **

I blinked, readying my blade for the Quincy's inevitable attack through the shroud of dust, _Might as well, I guess. _

Ignoring the immediate thought about how strange it was for my Hollow to actually agree on something for once, I let my backside guard down. My head was tilted sightly to the left, exposing my neck enough for a clean cut with the rapier-type weapon that the Quincy was wielding. My free hand twitched in anticipation as I looked forwards with my eyes but backwards with my remaining senses.

The instant I felt his presence, I jumped up and whirled around like a tornado. My trademark fighting technique on full display, I lashed out with all my might for a single and final strike to the Quincy's neck. My blade caught, the familiar feeling of my weapon lodged in flesh running through my senses.

"That's no good," The Quincy suddenly said, the smoke finally clearing, "You should really aim...before you use that sword."

My blade had stopped in his neck, but hadn't cut him at all. It was as if a force had stopped the steel from touching the artery I'd been aiming for.

"What the...?" I couldn't help but mutter as I jumped back and disengaged.

"Not that it would matter..." The Quincy said, "Considering I have no weak points!"

The Quincy flared his sword to his side dramatically, like this was all some Broadway show. His paper-like wings opened eyes trained on me. he was floating slightly off the ground, the strange shoes that went with his released form only visible because of the shadows that formed under them.

"You said that my form..." The Quincy said, his voice neutral but gaining arrogance by the second, "Is eerie. That is the correct reaction. To the eyes of a treacherous Soul Reaper...Our appearance of holy executioners...Should be absolutely terrifying!"

* * *

The Qunicy lifted his sword slightly higher than parallel to the ground, a small hexagonal shaped amount of Reishi appearing at its tip. Suddenly, streams of spiritual particles streamed from the sands and the dying bodies of the Arrancar the Quincy struck down earlier. They all gathered at the tip of his weapon, the mass growing with every passing second.

"So that's why I couldn't sense anything," Misami said, almost too quiet for the Arrancars watching to hear.

"What's she talking about?" Takeshi said, looking over at Nel.

"Well, that angel guy over there's a Quincy, right?" Nel said, giggling. "So doesn't he take in Spiritual pressure instead of make it?"

"And you knew that how?" Takeshi said, looking over at the beautiful Arrancar with a dubious gaze.

"I overheard Uryuu Ishida at one point or another!" Nel beamed, then looked over at the two that were fighting, "Really though...can Misami handle this guy with only one sword? Isn't that like fighting with a hand tied behind her back?"

The group of Arrancar looked on as the massive attack the Quincy was gathering reached its climax.

"We aren't about to let him have that..." Takeshi heard behind him, but didn't bother to look.

"Come! Prepare to receive it!" The Quincy yelled, his tone bordering on madness, "My Vollstandig, 'Biskiel''s Power!"

The massive collection of power shattered just as the Quincy made the motion to fire it. Misami had put up her guard, crossing her arms before her and her lips already moving to put up a Bakudo, but it seemed to be in vain. Takeshi looked at the scene, cocking an eyebrow in slight confusion.

"What...?!" The Quincy said, looking behind his back with an astonished look in his strange irises.

A massive monster, with the body of a beast and a tail, stood menacingly from where it had smashed the Quincy's attack. Large muscular arms rippled with power and covered in hair, its skull caped in darker fur that fell down to frame a face consisting of a simple deer skull with massive antlers on either side of its head. Its tail was a greenish white, and looked like a snake's tail. The massive monster stood behind the Quincy with a malicious stance, staring right at him through the mane that covered its eyes from view.

"That's...new..." Misami muttered.

"..What is...That monster?" The Quincy captain said, looking somewhat disgusted.

"..Did you think that we couldn't fight anymore?" Mila Rose said, rising to her feet.

"I thought I said you should not underestimate us." Sung Sun said, her left hand covering her mouth with its overly long sleeve.

"Show that four-eyed poser what you can do!" Apacci yelled, aiming her voice at the monster, "Ayon!"

Takeshi looked back at the three Arrancar, noticing that the three of them were missing something very important. Each of their left arms were gone, seemingly cut off at half-way up the upper arm and leaving only a stump behind. Blood slowly trickled out of their new wounds, though not much thanks to the regenerative abilities that Arrancar possessed. Still Takeshi had to voice his concerns.

"Did Misami look like she needed the help?" Takeshi said, cocking an eyebrow, "Do you think that she'd want the ones she saved to lose their arms for something like this?"

"What the heck are you talking about muscle brains?!" Apacci yelled, her eyes wide with anger and pupils constricted.

"Misami...Doesn't like it when people sacrifice for her," Takeshi said, looking away.

"Like we'd ever sacrifice for a Soul-" Apacci yelled, but was cut off by a female voice.

"Calm down," Nel's voice overlapped with a retort from Mila Rose, but she continued, "Misami's just the type that takes all the responsibility. So any help you give her, even if it's not for her, she feels like she messed something up."

"Like I care if a Soul Reaper feels bad about herself," Apacci said, furrowing her brow in distaste, "Hmph."

"You will, trust me," Takeshi said, shaking his head, "They always do."

The monster known as Ayon's head suddenly turned towards the group of Arrancar, though its attention seemed to be on the three Arrancar that had summoned it. Apacci's angry expression dropped as she stared at monster.

"...What are you looking at?" Mila Rose asked despite knowing she'd get no response from the beast.

"I doubt he is worrying about us..." Sung Sun said, looking up that the monstrously tall being as well.

"...Don't care about us," Apacci said in a calm voice, an almost worried expression on her face that was extremely out of character for her, "Go Ayon."

Suddenly, as if the beast had understood the command, it's head shot up as if to stare at the sky.

Then a massive roar erupted from its now gaping mouth, its maw large enough to swallow a grown man whole. Suddenly, its eyes were visible. They were large, round and bulging bloodshot eyes that looking in opposite directions like a prey animal. The roar that it spewed into the open air of Hueco Muendo shook the very ground.

"What the heck is that thing?!" Misami yelled, staring at the three Arrancar that had summoned it.

"Ayon...A monster that we can create by merging our left arms!" Apacci yelled, her words rushed as if she were on a time limit as she pointed at Misami with her remaining hand, "It's powerful but can't tell friend from foe! This time you're not our enemy. If you don't wanna die, you'd better leave it be and run! Soul Reaper!"

Just as the Arrancar finished her response, the massive beast came barreling down the sands towards the pair that had been fighting not too long ago. Misami, as fast as a lightning strike, vanished from sight in her frightening Flash Step. The one that remained, the Quincy Captain, turned to face the monster.

He held up his sword to his face, looking annoyed, "A monster like you...cannot defeat my Vollstandi-"

The man's words were chopped short as the beast sent its fist flying into his body, blood spewing from the impact. That wasn't the end of the monster's attack, however. The furry demon sent punch after punch, attack after attack into the Quincy sending him through the air only to punch him again. He grabbed him from the black sky and slammed him into the sands of the ground, the Quincy's blood painting the ground a deep crimson.

His wings severed and laying next to him, and his torse buried deep in the sand so that only his legs jutted out from the ground, the Quincy remained still as Ayon backed off with heavy breathing. Takeshi looked at the brutal beat down that the monster had given the Quincy, and chuckled slightly at the sight.

Nel had to look away from the feral and animal-like beast as it destroyed its opponent. The barbaric tactics, the ungraceful fighting, the destruction, there was nothing that made her more annoyed than pointless fighting. This wasn't fighting to save a life or to protect a home, just just brutal violence that had no purpose.

"Too much..." Nel said, hugging her chest tightly with a sneer tugging at her lips.

"Oooops. Maybe we went too far?" Apacci said, smirking despite her fatigue as she trotted up closer to the still body of the Quincy.

"Don't get too close," Takeshi said, moving to stop her, "He could still be awake."

"I must say you're pretty sturdy," Apacci said, continuing without even listening to Takeshi's words, "You're still whole after Ayon beat you up so much..."

The body, of which Apacci was standing right next to, twitched. Before anyone could react there was a blur in front of Apacci. The blade of the Quincy was pointed directly at the Arrancar's heart, but it had stopped short of its mark. Instead of going right through the girl that had been gloating not two seconds before, the blade had been stopped by a lone white haired Soul Reaper.

Misami stood before Apacci, the blade that belonged to the strange Quincy in her grip. The edge of the sword bit into her skin, and blood ran down her palm and forearm. Her blood was a lighter shade of crimson than the Quincy's, as if it were more pure than their blood. Her gaze didn't change at all from the ice cold stare that she'd been wearing the entire time the Arrancars had seen her fight.

"H-How? ...Why?" Apacci asked, dumbfounded as the sound of Misami's blood trickling to the ground echoed through the air.

Misami turned her head just enough to look at the Arrancar through the corner of her eye, "Do I really need a reason?"

The sword that Misami pulled back, the Quincy staring up in amazement and shock at the fact that Misami had stopped his blade bare-handed.

Misami then turned her head over to the Quincy, then looked down at her hand. The wound slowly healed before her eyes. The Quincy's expression changed from astonished to venomous in an instant.

He rose to his feet, his broken wings having at some point reconstructed, "I see...They didn't warn me about such power...I must advise his majesty...To adjust the strength of our Blut."

Misami squared off to the Quincy that started to grin almost sinisterly, readying her single blade in both hands. Apaccis suddenly found herself back with the other four Arrancar that had been saved from this Quincy, Nel's arms wrapped around her torso and the buzz of the green haired woman's Sonido ringing through the air. The tomboyish Arrancar didn't even find it in herself to resist the former Espada. She was still to overwhelmed with the near death experince and the Soul Reaper saving her from the Quincy's vengeful sword.

"But before that," The Quincy captain said, his halo shining a light on a sinister grin. "I'll have you all die quickly."

* * *

Daiki watched over Squad Two as they finalized their preparations, being the first Squad in the Seireitei to do so after the command was given to the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The Soul Reaper paced back and forth as he awaited news from his Captain on the matter of his best friend. His thoughts continued uninterrupted as Squad members would come up and quietly ask for instruction. As the acting Captain, seeing as he was in charge and Soi Fon was not present, everything was vectored through him. Despite this, the silent and intimidating Lieutenant was able to control the situation without losing his train of thought.

Weapons were prepared, foods stored where they should be, and the Squad members were ready to leave at a moment's notice. Daiki was now simply making sure that the final items were complete before he reported to Soi Fon. He couldn't think about anything but what his Captain would say to him. The Squads were on edge for this new enemy, so they were slightly paranoid on top of being tense with all the preparations for war. The Soul Society had experienced peace for a short period of time, so the feeling of war coming right over the horizon was something that was both strange and refreshing. At the same time, however, Daiki could tell that the Soul Reapers that were in the Seireitei were nervous.

The amount of damage that had been repaired from the Vasto Lorde incident, not including the 78th South Rukkon District, was almost completely repaired. In a few weeks' time, there wouldn't be any damages left to repair and the Soul Reapers that were working on the repairs within the Seireitei could then work on the Rukkon.

...Or so Central 46 says.

Daiki knew that the nobles in Central 46 really had no intention of spending their money to help those that had been destroyed by Misami's rampage. In fact, Daiki could almost guess that they thought 'there was no survivors to help anyways' was reason enough to ignore the Rukkon altogether.

"Lieutenant..." Soi Fon said, behind Daiki but he almost didn't hear her, "Lieutenant!"

"Yes ma'am, I heard you," Daiki said, slowly turning towards the stern assassin Captain.

"How are the preparations going?" Soi Fon asked, "Have you been slicking off?"

"Almost complete," Daiki responded, his voice even, "I'm just waiting to hear reports from the seated officers. After that, they will have been finished."

"You realize that the other squads are barely getting to be a day's time away from finishing, right?" Soi Fon asked, then sighed, "I could have avoided so many headaches and embarrassments if you'd just shown up sooner..."

"Captain?" Daiki asked, looking confused.

"Never mind, Lieutenant," Soi Fon said, "You know what I've come here for."

Daiki instantly tensed, his voice filled with so much raw emotion that Soi Fon blinked in surprise, "Was it accepted!?"

"It was," Soi Fon said, eliciting a sigh of relief from her Lieutenant, "But, the terms you discussed were altered."

"What?" Daiki said, looking almost instantly confused.

"She will have to wear seals that are controllable only by Captain level Soul Reapers," Soi Fon said, "And she will have to agree to twenty-four hour surveillance of her location and spiritual pressure. There was some negotiating, and we agreed that we won't require video surveillance as well. At least at the start."

"Is that all?" Daiki asked.

"She'll have to have an escort, but other than that, nothing else," Soi Fon responded.

"When can we retrieve her?" Daiki prodded, sounding almost excited.

"As soon as possible, of course," Soi Fon said, sighing, "Though I'm sure that's what you would have done anyway..."

"Yes, Captain!" Daiki said, turning towards the Soul Reapers that were almost finished with their work.

As if coordinated, a Soul Reaper appeared from a Flash Step to report, "Lieutenant Daiki, the preparations you have requested have been completed."

"Good work," Daiki said, crossing his arms, "Now go ahead and run that other errand I requested. Be sure to take enough personnel with you."

"Sir...Really, you're being too generous," The Soul Reaper said, as if they had this conversation before.

"I made a promise to you all," Daiki said, his foot tapping impatiently. "Trust me, paying for an entire squads meal isn't that big a deal when you have years' worth of Seated Officer salary laying around."

"Y-yes, sir...Thank you sir," The Soul Reaper nodded, vanishing.

"You're going to ruin your reputation if you do that Lieutenant," Soi Fon scoffed, smirking, "They'll only get more confused if you start acting nice towards them."

Daiki shrugged, "They can think what they want, as long as they follow orders."

"Well said," Soi Fon said, then changed her tone to one of authority, "Lieutenant Daiki, retrieve the Exiled Misami Kuchiki and her associates at once."

"Yes, Captain," Daiki saluted, "Is the Senkaimon available?"

"You won't be needing the Senkaimon, Lieutenant," Soi Fon said, turning her back towards the hooded Soul Reaper, "The Exiles are already in Hueco Muendo. Tracking them down shouldn't be a problem."

"Yes, ma'am!" Daiki instantly vanished.

Soi Fon chuckled, smirking as she stared at the space where her Lieutenant had stood a moment before, "Did he actually smile for once?"


	29. Thousand Year Blood War

**Author's Note: Hey all! Welcome to another chapter of Prodigy! I hope you all are enjoying your day! Anyways, I hope you'll excuse the wait, since I'm so busy. But thank you all for taking the time to read my story. It's been a blast writing it, and rewarding in so many ways!**

**Thank you, CcHh, for reviewing! I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying the story as much as I am! I do agree that the names sound weird, but I don't speak German XD Which was why I knew Misami would say something about them being weird to her, while also being sort of sarcastic and bored at the same time. As for translating, feel free to PM me about it with the things you translate and I can fix it at a later date. Anyways, I look forwards to your next review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, all rights go to Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump. I do, however, own my OCs, this story's original content and the original ideas displayed in this story. **

**Without further a due, on with the chapter!**

The strange Quincy's halo glowed like some holy relic. He stood with his wings outstretched, the light beaming in all directions and casting harsh shadows on the white sands of Hueco Muendo.

Takeshi and Nel stood guard over the five Arrancar that we'd saved, staring at the Quincy with neutral expressions. Apacci, the overconfident Arrancar that I had to save from getting impaled, was still looking at me with disbelief on her face. Hard to blame her, since she was almost killed and she had no idea of how it happened. I didn't, however, have time to think or care about what the Arrancar were doing. they were safe in my friend's protection, so I could focus solely on the Quincy and the massive monster that was called Ayon.

"Well, since you're an ugly monster you'll be the first to die." The Quincy said, starting to walk towards the massive beast in question, "No. To _'live' , _should I say."

Something changed in the air after the Quincy said those words, like some special ability was activated subtly. The Arrancar trio that had summoned the beast knew this as well, Mila Rose's eyes widening with realization just as Ayon charged forwards with a mighty roar. Thundering down the sands towards the Quincy with its mouth agape and hands forward to rip his enemy apart, Ayon paid no heed to the words of his masters.

"Wait, Ayon!" Mila Rose shouted over the noise, "Don't!"

It was too late for the monster, however. I knew that the moment Ayon stopped his charge with an almost confused expression on his face. A small chip on his deer skull floated away suddenly. At first it wasn't all that noticeable, and I only saw it by chance. The next instant, Ayon's flesh was getting ripped from his very skeleton.

I felt the unusual desire to throw up my lunch at the sight of the monster's flesh melting off his frame. His very essence seemed to liquefy and defy gravity. The three Arrancar that had called on the beast were staring on with shock, not expecting something like this in the slightest. I clenched my teeth as I looked back at Ayon, his eyes remaining in the sockets of his exposed skull. His muscles almost all gone, leaving his rob cage and spine standing upon his currently liquefying legs. Takeshi and Nel stared straight forwards, not seeming to be affected in the slightest.

In fact, Nel only seemed to take the chance to move closer to Takeshi under the guise of being frighted. Had I not almost gotten rid of my past meal from the sight of Ayon's gruesome death, I might have smirked knowingly at the two of them. I gripped my pale hand on my sword, my left itching to reach for the other blade at my side.

Just when Ayon's skeleton was the only thing remaining, it collapsed to the ground like a brittle doll or a house of cards.

Suddenly the thought hit me, _Where is all of that stuff going...?_

My eyes shot to the Quincy, the last time I saw him being when he placed his sights on Ayon. The spiritual pressure that Ayon had commanded was now coalescing around the man with an ominous sound. They formed into similar wings to the Quincy's previous paper-like versions, only larger. The air grew thick with tension as the Arrancar looked around to try and figure out what was going on. I took a deep breath, looking away from Ayon's remains. When I exhaled, the Quincy called out.

"Sklaverei," The man said, calmly but with no end of menace, "This uses a Quincy's basic ability to gather Reishi in the most powerful way...It enslaves it. Actually, I didn't want to use it...Because my holy wings...Turn into something dirty..."

The Arrancar that were watching looked onward with shocked expressions, from both the gruesome death of their monster and the grotesque sight of the Quincy.

No longer was he a supposed angel-like figure. His paper-like wings had Ayon's bloodshot eyes at their bases, the irises looking fearfully this way and that. Instead of his smug grin, the Quincy's mouth was replaced by a grill of teeth that looked as though they were transplanted from Ayon to himself. The roots of those massive teeth were embedded in his skin, the absence of lips or gums disturbing to behold. His body type had changed drastically from a lean and lanky type, to a tall barrel-chested man. His left arm was not his own anymore, replaced by a massive and proportional limb that reached from his shoulder to his ankles. His left pectoral muscle, in addition, was also not his own anymore. The seemingly transplanted arm grew over his white military-styled clothing, its wrist obscured by a massive paper-looking cuff. The hand of the arm was covered with a glove similar to the paper-like wings of the monstrous Quincy. Growing from just above his rear was a massive white-ish green scaly tail that ended in a snake's head.

"Go, I'll handle this," Takeshi said, stepping forwards.

I had been with Apacci, slowly moving her towards her fellow Arrancar. Up until the massive beast appeared from the merging of the Quincy and Ayon, she had been staring at me the entire time with a critical gaze in between grimaces of pain. She was probably racking her brain to try to figure out how she had been saved. I would feel the same way if something beyond my senses happened right before my eyes that resulted in my life spared. I had to move at my top speed to ensure that I would make it over to Apacci before the Quincy's blade did, time almost stopped as my Flash Step made it seem as though I'd hit the world's pause button. Using my full speed like that was hard to maintain, took monstrous amounts of concentration, and took a ton of energy. That was one of the reasons that I almost never used my full potential in Flash Step. One of the other reasons being that I almost never needed to used its full potential to begin with.

Takeshi must have noticed that I was feeling a little drained at that moment because of my Flash Step, and told me to fall back. With an Arrancar to carry on top of my spell of exhaustion, I didn't have any room to object. Nel took up the guard for the Arrancar, the group of them running away before any massive attacks could be lobbed their way from the inevitable clash between monsters. I did my best, thanking their injuries slowing them down, to catch up. The maiden-like Arrancar, Sung Sun, noticed that I was with Apacci and right behind them.

She sharpened her gaze in concentration, muttering into her sleeve, "Muda."

The Arrancar's frame was ruptured in half down her spine. Her face split between her eyes as her image began to warp. Without warning, it spread to cover us creating a massive dome that slammed down and encased us within it. A small light from the top of the dome was generated somehow, revealing the pair of Arrancar that had challenged the Quincy and failed. Apacci, confident that she could sit without my help, roughly shoved herself off and plopped down on the packed sands under the strange dome. Nel moved close to me, looking relieved for one reason or another. I sat down and crossed my legs comfortably. Somehow I made it appear somewhat elegant, but that was only due to habit. Nel sat beside me soon thereafter, with a satisfied huff of breath.

"Did you hide?" The Quincy said, looking around in every direction except Takeshi's, "Well, beasts are indeed...able to sense danger..."

"It's not like I wanted to save you," Sung Sun said, looking at me through the corner of her eye, trying her best to ignore the Quincy's tone, "I don't know who you are, but if Nelliel Tu Odelschwank and Takeshi Yagami follow you like an equal, then you must be strong. Frankly, I wouldn't want to try my luck against you now, much less your power and that man's if he were to absorb you too."

The two Arrancar that claimed to be Aizen's aides were staring at me with mixed emotions, still deciding whether or not they were going to trust us or not. Regardless, they were too injured to do anything else besides breathe, leaving them silently sitting a little away from us. The one with pig-tail styled hair was grimacing, her nose bleeding and her cheek beginning to bruise. Her body was covered in wounds that seemed like they hurt. Her friend wasn't fairing much better, her Hollow mask that acted like an eye-patch having a crack in it. Not to mention her own set of wounds. I thought of moving over to them and giving them some healing Kido, but I doubted they would just graciously sit there and thank me while I helped them for no reason. I figured it would only make them more suspicious of me. Regardless, from what I could tell, their injuries seemed to be non-fatal, so I simply chose to entrust their healing to their regenerative Hollow abilities.

"You..." Mila Rose said, interrupting me thought as she staring into my eyes and leaned closer to inspect me, "What's the White Death want with us?"

"'White Death'..." I echoed, sighing, "Well, there's always worse nicknames to be called, I guess..."

No one seemed to hear my comment, as Sung Sun spoke over me, "Mila Rose. We can ask them that later."

I stared at the two of them, Apacci strangely keeping silent as she caught her breath. The two beings that were outside the barrier that the Arrancar had put up were staring at each other like two wolves squaring off for a fight. Takeshi's eyes were alight with a fire that hadn't been there for a while. The look in his eyes told everything that he was feeling in that moment. He was back in his element, facing off against a strong opponent that promised a good and long fight. I remembered that the last time Takeshi had this sort of battle was the war with his former students. I knew that particular battle didn't count for the Arrancar, since Nel told me that he spent the majority of that fight in a berserk rage.

"That ability is really bad...Everything in Hueco Muendo and the Soul Society is made of Reishi. Same goes us too." Sung Sun said, her voice becoming tense, "That ability just rips all that away and you can't do anything about it. We can't win against something like that."

* * *

Daiki burst through the Garganta that had been provided by the Department of Research and Development. He used his exceptional Flash Step to race across the vast sands of Hueco Muendo at an astonishing speed.

The Lieutenant of Squad Two reached out as far as his senses would allow, searching the barren wastelands of the Hollow home world for his first and only true friend. The thought of what expression would cross her face when he told her the news. Something akin to excitement ran through the seasoned assassin's head, something that he had never really experienced this sort of emotion.

Instead of flaring his spiritual pressure to atomize the dust before it hit his face, Daiki pulled up his ragged scarf and hood to cover his features. The cloak that came standard with heading to Hueco Muendo, normally a tanned color, was stark black to go with Daiki's usual color scheme. He'd had to special order it so that he wouldn't have to sacrifice his stealth for protection against the harsh grit of the Hollow World. At the speeds that Daiki consistently reached in a straight line, those small granules of sand tended to leave a mark.

**_What do you think you're up to, Master? _**Daiki's Zanpakuto said, sounding dubious, _**She's not going to accept it. She probably still blames herself. **_

_I know that...But I really didn't need to hear it out loud. _Daiki responded, even his thoughts monotone.

**_Better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed, right?_**

The two of them never really needed to say much, since the two of them already knew what the other was thinking. That didn't mean they didn't communicate, just that words were not the way they conveyed their feelings. Frankly, Daiki hadn't really talked to his Zanpakuto since he'd gone through the monstrously difficult trails for his Bankai. That was simply because his Zanpakuto was quieter and more reserved than Daiki. He wouldn't say this aloud, since he figured no soul would believe him.

Suddenly, he felt it. The power that could only belong to his friend. The waves of power that came from her strikes, he could sense them from anywhere. They were far away, but he could tell the general direction they were coming from. Daiki could tell that she was being tested greatly, other forms of power in between Misami's attacks that were strong enough to give her trouble if she didn't take them seriously. He took a deep breath, drawing out his Zanpakuto slowly. The metal that belonged to the blade gleamed in the moonlight, glinting with power. The harsh shadows that surrounded the hooded assassin Soul Reaper were the exact opposite of the white sands of the Hollow home world.

_**It's been a while since you've done that, Master, **_The sword said, reading the Soul Reaper's thoughts perfectly, _**You sure you'll be okay?**_

_There's enough darkness, so I'll be fine, _Daiki responded, taking a breath, _Besides...Who'ed miss me if I left this world?_

**_The one you're trying to save._**

The last words of his sword stuck in his mind as he prepared for his next move. He stopped next to a dune, the sands that were behind him blowing past him due to his slipstream. He took his blade and held it before his chest with one hand on the hilt and another on the flat of the blade.

The steel that he held in his hands had been stained with so much blood already. Assassination missions, executions, and battles had all resulted in his sword being used to claim life after life. He'd lost count long ago of the amount of beings that he had slain in his life time. To many, Daiki knew, he was nothing but a cold-hearted and hollow man. The Irony that he essentially had no soul while being only a soul as apparent as the darkness surrounding him.

However, that was not the case. Misami saw the light in him that no one else could. Despite her appearance of a young child, Misami had an enormous amount of life experience. She'd seen many horrors, been weighed down by grief, loneliness, pain, suffering, and despair. She lived in the slums, and lived in mansions. Misami had been without family, even without a name. The opposite was also true, as she knew the warmth and comfort of love and family. It was because of this that Misami was able to empathize with almost every one in the three worlds. She knew everyone's suffering as if it were her own, but also knew how to make others feel better. Even someone like Daiki, who had nothing but the amount of souls he'd killed to his name, was worth something in her eyes. Since she herself knew what it was like to feel worthless and the unending void of nothingness.

Daiki took another deep breath and rotated his blade downwards, the well-honed edge of his sword resting gently on his upturned palm. He stared at it, the last time his eyes had rested on this sight having been years from now.

_"Bankai."_

Without hesitation, the Lieutenant of Squad Two ripped the blade to the side. The rough angle that he'd pulled the blade away forced an almost jagged cut on his hand. Blood pooled soon thereafter, dripping onto the hard-packed sands of the Hollow home world. Daiki's other hand tossed up his sword, the weapon spinning one hundred and eighty degrees. When it began to fall, Daiki's bloodied hand caught it by the hilt.

Suddenly, with an eerie sound like the whispering of haunting spirits, Daiki's blood turned black. The small amount of skin that was show turned as pale as Misami's hair. Daiki's veins turned black as his entire supply of blood finished turning the same color as his clothes. Black, shadowy spiritual pressure enveloped his body as it changed. The shadows that were near him seemed to get even darker than they already were, as if light itself could not penetrate their unending void. Daiki's eyes changed from their menacing cobalt to a blood red. The pupils changed that of a snake or a cats, nothing but vertical slits that emanated killing intent. His canine's even lengthened slightly, giving him an almost vampire-like appearance.

"_Maebure no Yami,_" The Soul Reaper Lieutenant muttered. (_Translation: Harbinger of Darkness_)

Without a second passing afterwords, Daiki's terrifying form slowly sunk into the shadows as if they were quick sand.

The last thing that one would have seen was his glowing red eyes as his form slipped into some endless shadow realm of his own making.

* * *

Daiki slowly rose out of the shadows at Misami's last known location, which as almost absolutely dark. Daiki's eyes could see through that darkness to find the calmly resting form of Misami Kuchiki. She was sitting down next to Nel before five Arrancar. Daiki worked hard to keep his spiritual pressure as suppressed as he could, but it was only a matter of time before the Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid noticed him with her prodigious sensing abilities.

His Bankai had never been shown to anyone, for some obvious reasons but also for some hidden ones as well. If anything, Daiki didn't want Misami of all people to see him like this. As he rose out of the shadows like rising out of murky water, he released his Bankai as silently as the breeze. The dark flames of spiritual pressure vanished from sight. Daiki went low to the ground making sure not to make a single sound as he slowly moved closer to his friend. Not long after that, he realized he was sneaking up on his only friend as if he were going to assassinate her.

He shook his head, blaming the unwarranted approach on his age old instincts. However, as he stood to his full height and started casually towards Misami, he caught sight of the other Arrancar's wounds. They were all superficial, some leaking blood, but not fatal. What gave Daiki a cause for concern was that two of those Arrancar were barely able to keep conscious because of their wounds. Arrancar were known for their thick skin that acted as its own form of armor. Not to mention that those five Arrancar were the personal aides of some of the most powerful beings Hueco Muendo had seen. So for them to be almost unable to stay awake because of wounds made Daiki wonder what had caused them.

"We should use my Muda to move further away from the fighting," An Arrancar whom held an oversized sleeve to her mouth said, "I'm blocking out his sensing abilities so that he won't know where we are, so we should be safe."

"I hate to be the realist here," Misami said, sighing while shaking her head, "But if he can suck a monster like that into himself, I doubt something like this would work."

The Arrancar squinted at the hybrid, seeming to inspect her, "You doubt my ability?"

Misami held up her hands in surrender, "Perish the thought. I would _never _doubt something that I just heard about."

Daiki chose then to make his entrance, "Ever the perfect Soul Reaper, I see."

Misami's sharp blue eyes immediately found him in the darkness, "...Daiki?"

"Yo," Daiki said, revealing himself to the rest of the beings present whom were looking around for the source of the voice, "It's been a while."

Misami looked suspiciously at him for a second, but seemed to decide against something before she spoke, "Yeah, it has...So how are you doing?"

"Oh, y'know," Daiki said, shaking his head as he sat down next to his friend and Nel, "Can't complain."

"You never complain," Misami smirked, shaking her head, "How's...everyone doing?"

The slight hesitation in the girl's words told him all he needed to know, "Rukia and Ichigo are fine, just worried about their favorite little Soul Reaper."

Misami chuckled slightly, sounding relieved, "...Yeah, I figured."

"Who in Lord Aizen's name is this?" The Arrancar covering her mouth with a sleeved hand said, looking around to see where he'd come from. "You shouldn't have been able to get inside here without me realizing it!"

"Daiki's...special," Misami said, giving the smallest of sly smiles, "So don't think about it too much or you'll just end up paranoid for the rest of your life..."

"Well," Daiki said, looking out towards where he felt Takeshi's spiritual pressure, "Mind explaining what _that _is?"

Daiki felt a strange spiritual pressure circling with the Arrancar that was like an avatar of war itself. Even he, who had all manner of targets to compare it to, had no idea what it was supposed to be. Misami shook her head and turned towards the Lieutenant of Squad Two.

"That's a Quincy." She said flatly.

"...Yeah, and I'm the Soul King's daughter," Daiki rolled his eyes, but no one but Misami could have known that.

Already used to his harsh tone of voice when the man was being sarcastic, Misami shook her head, "I'm not messing with you. Well, I forgot to mention that the guy has some ability that allows him to enslaves spiritual pressure."

"Is that why it feels so off?"

"Yep," Misami responded, "He already took their monster with him."

Daiki looked at the three Arrancar that she looked at through the corner of her eye, noticing that each of them was missing their left arms, "Ah...Okay."

"Anyways," Nel said, smiling, "Takeshi's going to take care of him!"

"You're not going to help him at all?" Daiki asked the two girls sitting to his right.

Misami shook her head with a smile but knowing smile, "You talk like you don't know the guy, Daiki. What would you do if he called dibs on a strong enemy?"

"...Yeah," Daiki said, shaking his head, "My bad..."

"Again," The Arrancar that allegedly formed the massive barrier said, seeming to get annoyed at being ignored, "Who _are _you!?"

The Soul Reaper in question sighed, "Daiki. Lieutenant of the Second Squad."

"No family name?" The Arrancar pushed, her gaze sharp.

"No family." Daiki responded harshly, shaking his head in annoyance, "Shouldn't you be more concerned about how Takeshi is doing?"

"Hard to do that when a Soul Reaper that refuses to show his face appears from nowhere!"

"Calm down, Sung Sun," Misami interrupted the arguing pair, holding her hands up to signal that it was time to stop, "Arguing over stupid stuff isn't how you win a fight. Right now, I say we just sit tight and see how Takeshi handles this. Depending on the situation, either me or my friends will leave to help him out if he needs it. Other than that, I suggest you all keep your mouths shut."

"Who are you to tell us what to do, half-breed?" Mila Rose said, crossing her arms.

"Is that really common knowledge, already?" Misami shot a look at Daiki.

The Lieutenant simply shrugged, "Do you really care nowadays?"

"Eh, you have a point," Misami conceded.

"Don't ignore us again!" Mila Rose growled, "It's not wise to ignore Arrancars that are angry."

"Is it really wise to threaten the one that saved your friends life," Misami said, cocking her left eyebrow and leaning her head in the same direction, "Last I checked, that would be considered rude and uncalled for."

"We didn't _ask _to be saved!" Another Arrancar, one Daiki knew to be Apacci, said angrily.

"Prideful idiots have no self-preservation," Misami said, shaking her head, "Espically those that serve others. What do you think your master would think when you all died for nothing?"

"We were fighting to help Miss Harribel's name!" Apacci yelled in refutation.

"Did she ask you to?" Misami said, "Would you want her to return and not have anyone to return to? What if you returned from a mission or something and she wasn't there when you returned?"

The three of them were speechless. They stared at the strange white-haired Soul Reaper in white Espada-like clothing.

"The rumors were right..." The pig tailed Arrancar known as Lolly grimaced, "...There's nothing and no one like her..."

* * *

Takeshi chuckled maniacally, staring down his opponent without hesitation. Every moment that he had watched Misami fight this thing, he'd wanted to fight it more and more. His blood was boiling, his adrenaline pumping at the thought of fighting such a promising for.

"So now I'm up against the last king of Hueco Muendo?" The Quincy said, his voice distorted but the grotesque mutations resulting from his Reishi enslaving ability.

"Oh, so I'm famous," Takeshi grinned, cracking his knuckles, "Anything else you wanna ask before I beat the crap out of you?"

"Don't be so naive," The Quincy said, readying his blade, "You will be defeated just as you're hybrid friend was."

"You call making you use you're trump card without taking an injury a defeat?" Takeshi asked, sounding both confused and annoyed, "Man, your standards are weird. Heck, if she came out here right now, all she would need was her Shikai to obliterate your sorry butt. C'mon, lets make this interesting, shall we?"

"I don't care about what you want," The Quincy said, shaking his head, "My orders are to kill you as quickly as possible."

"Suit yourself," Takeshi said, grinning, "If that's how you want, I'd be happy to take you seriously."

"As if that would possibly-"

"Here I come!"

Just as the Arrancar roared with animalistic delight, he burst forwards with a sinister light in his eyes. The Quincy was caught off guard, wrongly assuming that the Arrancar was going to wait for him to finish his arrogant monologue. His eyes went wide as the tidal wave of muscle and power that was known as Takeshi slammed into his defenses.

Completely unlike his previous fights, Takeshi wasn't holding back. There was the small notion that he wasn't using his sword at all, the blade sheathed at his waist, which could be considered holding back, but otherwise the Arrancar was giving his attacks every ounce of power he could into his fists. The Quincy seemed to be stressed and completely defensive, unable to comprehend that the being before him was able to fight without a weapon at all. Creating openings, then exploiting them instantly, Takeshi's attacks were perfectly calculated and precise. However, it was obvious from the look on Takeshi's face and the wild nature of his spiritual pressure, that he was merely doing so unconsciously. It was simply instinctual for him to completely obliterate his opponent with brute force.

His strikes were like a swarm of fists, kicks, and other hand-to-hand combat techniques, barely giving the Quincy a chance to maneuver. The massive, grotesque limb that had resulted from his fusion with the monster Ayon was useless in close combat due to how unproportionally large it was. The only thing that the Quincy could use was his rapier-like sword, and Takeshi could easily ignore the wounds being made with it. In fact, the Quincy had instinctively impaled the Arrancar several times in his chest before his onslaught of attacks had slammed into him. The wounds were gushing blood and soaking the ground as he sent fist after fist into the Quincy's defenses. Out of desperation, it seemed, the Quincy used his paper-like wings to literally blow the Arrancar away.

The resulting gust from the wings slowed the Arrancar down just enough for the Quincy to use his speed to escape the death zone near Takeshi. The Quincy surged backwards at an incredible rate, his slipstream kicking up sand into the air. Takeshi grunted, sounding annoyed, rushing forwards to close the distance once again. The man saw right through the Arrancar's movements, his arrows charging quickly. Without so much as stopping to aim, five arrows raced for the Arrancar as he charged the Quincy.

The arrows all struck home, Takeshi not even trying to dodge the projectiles. Impaling him in each limp and his chest, the impact slowed the Arrancar tremendously. The Quincy's mouth twitched into a confident smirk, and began to chuckle.

"So you thought blindly attacking me would work?" The Quincy said, shaking his head as if he were talking to a stupid child. "Please. My power far outreaches your own!"

"Y'know," Takeshi said, looking down at the wounds he'd just suffered, "That actually hurt. You actually hurt me."

"Don't say something so stupid," The man said, waving off the Arrancar's comment, "Of course it would hurt! Purity is painful to tainted beasts! That is common knowledge."

"Heh," Takeshi grinned, reaching for his sword slowly with a malicious grin, "If you're 'purity' I'd rather stay 'tainted'."

Ripping the blade out of its sheath, the Arrancar surged forwards with a burst of Sonido. Not expecting Takeshi to use the high speed maneuver, the Quincy jumped backwards in an attempt to maintain the distance between himself and the monster chasing after him. However, something akin to a chill ran through his spine. Eyes wide with surprise, he looked behind his back to see what had cause the strange sensation. His answer was stained red with blood.

Takeshi was behind him, his sword having run through his back and out his stomach. Ignoring the pain and only following his instincts, the massive arm that the Quincy commanded swung around to swat Takeshi away. Surprisingly, the power in the blow didn't directly reflect the speed at which it hit him. Meaning, the massive and grotesque arm had barely hit the Arrancar but still sent his body flying into a nearby sand dune.

The cloud of sand that resulted from the impact reached tens of meters into the sky.

"That's what you deserve for the sneaking up on me, you low life," The Quincy spat, his grin returning.

Suddenly, a pike the size of a man rocketed towards the Quincy's big-teethed face. Jerking his head to the side with a thought other than surprise, the Quincy's eyes widened once again as he looked over to where the spear had come from. There was a corresponding hole in the cloud of dust that had just filled itself. There was a massive increase in spiritual pressure, the dust cloud vanishing into almost a glass-like state from the massive shift in air pressure.

The Arrancar's spartan-like helmet was completed, the bone of the Hollow mask cloaking his eyes in shadow. The black markings that spread out of his Hollow hole had extended to his shoulders, and he had gained a good foot in height. His muscles were even more defined and massive than they usually were. His sword had changed from the standard katana shape to that of a great sword. The steel had been replaced with Hollow bone five to ten times more durable than normal. The grin that Takeshi was showing seemed to glow in the shadows created by his Hollow mask's helm. His eyes glowed through the darkness, glaring menacingly through the eye slits. The Massive Arrancar rolled his neck, a series of cracks and pops sounding as he groaned.

"Now," Takeshi said, sounding all too eager for what came next, "Let's see how pure you really are."

* * *

I watched the two of them fight blows washing over the strange barrier that Sung Sun had placed over us. I couldn't help but stare at Takeshi's released form.

Chills ran down my spine at the thought of going up against some one with his strength, especially when if he were serious. To think there was anything more powerful than him was the more frightening thought. I shook my head, instead trying to look around the space that the barrier afforded us. Nel was Sitting cheerfully beside me, smiling lightly with a serious look in her her eyes as she watched the battle.

Well, _watching_ would be the closest word I could think of to describe it. The barrier that the Arrancar had erected was completely opaque, so we couldn't see a thing with our eyes. However, we could use our sensing ability to 'see' what was going on in the world outside the barrier. I simply took that information and over-layed it with what I knew the two fighters to look like. I could visualize in my mind what was going on as a result, but I would need to focus on them if I wanted to get a good picture.

Daiki sat next to me, his attention seeming to be more on myself than the fight that was unfolding before us.

"Hey..." He said, sounding almost unsure, which was frankly not like him at all, "...I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal?" I said, turning my attention away from the fight to look at the hooded Soul Reaper, "You literally appear out of no where, which apparently should be impossible, to bring me a proposal?"

Daiki nodded, then stopped, "Wait, I thought you were already over that fact."

"No one said it wasn't fair game though," I gave him an almost visible smirk, "Anyways, what sort of proposal is it? You going to pop the question?"

"Wait, what? Where did that-" Daiki said nervously. Well, as nervously as he could anyway.

"Gee," I said, using my goody-too-shoes impression from my high school days, "I didn't think ya had it in ya! Not ta mention the fact we haven't even dated yet!"

"Misami, I'm being serious here," Daiki said, his voice dead after a long, drawn out sigh.

I snickered, "You're never _not _serious, silly."

Daiki sighed again, "You're...yeah, you got me there..."

A massive blast from the fight washed over my senses, the sound of a pained grunt reaching my ears as I tried to ignore it, "So...what is it?"

Daiki took a breath, like he was steeling himself, "Do you want to return to the Soul Society?"

I stared at him menacingly, "Daiki, if you went through all that trouble just to mess with my head, you need to get a new sense of humor."

"No, I'm not kidding," Daiki said, raising a palm to show his sincerity, "There's a way that they'll take you back."

I could feel my heart pounding at the very idea of going back home. It was too good to be true, truth be told. Given the strictness of both Central 46 _and _the Head Captain, I figured the next time I would set foot in the Soul Society was either illegally, or in chains and seals. I'd all but given up on seeing my family again. Sadly, though, the thing about good things was that they came with a catch. Nothing was free.

"What do I have to do?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow and head, "Be their personal lapdog and cannon fodder? Wear some sort of seal so I'm basically helpless? Sit in a cell instead of my own home?"

"Forget everything," Daiki said plainly.

"'Forget everything'," I repeated, cocking my head to the side again, "Daiki, what're you talking about?"

"Exactly how it sounds," Daiki said, looking straight at me, "Forget everything that the people in the Soul Society blame you for, and the higher-ups will blame it all on something else that you'd be unable to stop."

"...Will I have to have my memories removed or something?" I asked, blinking, "Will...Captain Kurotsuchi try and mess with my head?"

"They never said anything about that, Misami, " Daiki said, placing a hand on my shoulder to reassure me, "I think that they all trust you enough to let you keep your memories."

"Daiki, I don't remember any of it anyway. Don't you get that?" I said, almost whispering, "I didn't do any of that! My Hollow took over my body, and I woke up three days later in chains while I bled on the ground! I could barely move! Are you saying that they're going to listen to me now?"

Daiki, caught off guard by the harshness in my voice, hesitated, "More or less...yes."

I tried my hardest not to let the pessimistic voice in my head tell me that it was all a trap or a hoax. Daiki wasn't the type to use cheap and cruel tricks like that to catch his prey. He was more the type to wait until a moment of weakness then strike, not ambush with a baiting tactic thrown in with it. What was really eating at me was why the Soul Society was suddenly asking me to return, sending one of the four people that I'd even think of listening to. Normally, the nobles and aristocrats of Central 46 were too prideful and stubborn to give pardons to exiles and the like. It would be like saying they were wrong, despite the arrogantly thinking otherwise. Suddenly, the train of thought lead me to stare at Daiki.

I looked at him with a serious expression, a realization dawning on me, "Daiki...What's going on that they'd suddenly be so willing to let me come back?"

* * *

Takeshi threw his spear over and over again at the Quincy, a chain made from the same material enabling him to rip the weapon back without moving himself. Essentially, it was a harpoon.

There were already gaping holes in the Quincy's wings and limps from the few successful hits Takeshi was able to score. Blood ran down the Quincy's body as he dodged, attacked, and counterattacked the Arrancar. The two of them were a blur to the naked eye, the only thing even a Lieutenant could see would be a distortion of air as the two moved at frightening speeds. Neither of them seemed to be holding back in the slightest.

Takeshi swung his spear like he would a sword, the sharp point of the Hollow-bone weapon gleaming in the moonlight as he raced forwards. Having expected another barrage, the Quincy grinned as a small drop of sweat ran down his grotesque face. The Quincy surged forwards to meet the Arrancar, brandishing his rapier-like sword. The look in the Quincy's eyes did not match that of the Arrancar's, which was that of elation and enjoyment.

No, his was of a predator being hunted into a corner with no way out. The wounds that he had suffered, plus the fact that he couldn't do anything that would damage the Arrancar enough to stop him, were guaranteeing his demise. This charge, something that had been avoided every single time the Quincy was attacked, was his last ditch effort to defeat the monster before him. The power that the Quincy wielded, including that of the beast Ayon, was a force to be reckoned with to be sure. His ability to absorb Reishi to such a degree that he could absorb his opponents themselves, was something that would leave most terrified of fighting him. However, that didn't matter to the Arrancar that he was facing. In fact, it made the avatar of war want to fight him all the more.

Suddenly, with a sinister sound, Takeshi's spear extended to the size of a pike. Instead of a spear head at the end of the weapon, however, the end of the staff was adorned with a cruel halberd blade. The pointed, glistening end of the weapon surged towards the Quincy's throat without hesitation. The interval between when the change of the weapon occurred, the rate of closure, and the Quincy's reaction time all told the same tale as the expression on Takeshi's face.

There was no hope for him at all, he would die here and now.

Just before the end of the halberd impaled the Quincy by his neck, Takeshi turned the weapon so the flat of the blade faced to the sky. Diverting the honed Hollow-bone edge slightly to the side, Takeshi rammed it forward. The resulting laceration nearly beheaded the Quincy in that instant. As if it were calculated, however, the Quincy was still alive. Blood splattered onto the sands, bits of flesh from the wound scattered with it. The Quincy writhed in agony, holding his head in a frantic attempt to keep it from flying from his body. The massive arm that belonged to Ayon nearly covered up his entire skull, his other hand dropping his weapon to tend to his nearly fatal wound.

"Well, then," Misami said, appearing behind the blood-soaked Arrancar with her arms crossed, "I almost threw up when Ayon got liquefied, only to have this guy wiggle around like a headless snake. Seriously, remind me never to eat before a fight."

"I think it's adorable that you have a squeamish side, short stuff," Takeshi grinned, wiping his eyes of some of the Quincy's blood.

"I'm not short!" Misami yelled with sudden ferocity, slamming a kick into one of Takeshi's many wounds.

"Hey, that hurt!" Takeshi growled, slamming his face close to her's, "How is it fair for you to kick me where I'm injured when I saved your butt!?"

"Funny, I seem to remember that I had _dibs_!" Misami yelled back, glaring through the shadows that were created by his spartan helm Hollow-mask, "I got here first, so _I _was supposed to fight him!"

"It's no fair when you steal all the fun, miss noble!" Takeshi yelled back, his fist clenching,

"That's rich coming from the one that always steals the good fights!"

"I'm sorry," Nel said, sighing as she looked at the two of us with a slightly annoyed tone, "I don't remember heading to Hueco Muendo with Rukia and Ichigo's duplicates..."

"Do they always fight that much?" Sung Sun said, looking confused.

"I thought they were allies or something," Mila Rose said, equally confused.

"I think he made the mistake of mentioning Misami's height," Daiki said, clearing his throat.

"The heck is Ninja Boy here?!" Takeshi said, immediately turning his attention to the hooded Soul Reaper in question.

"I've been here, you just couldn't see me," Daiki said, nodding for assurance.

"That's the problem!" Takeshi grumbled, glaring at the hooded Soul Reaper, "You just show up after watching us like a stalker!"

"...For the last time," Daiki said, sounding almost irritated, "I'm _not _a stalker!"

"Whatever you way, stalker," Takeshi said with an annoyed tone, "Seriously though, why'd you show up? You aren't here to kill Misami, as far as I can tell, so spill it."

The Arrancar that Misami and Nel had been hiding out with in a strange barrier were watching with confusion, though they were interested in what would happen next. The two Arrancar that claimed to be Aizen's aides were still beaten and bloody, but Misami had given them enough healing Kido to keep them conscious long enough for their Hollow regeneration to mend their wounds. Apacci, the one Misami had saved with almost not time to spare, seemed to be almost over what had happened to both herself and Ayon. Mila Rose and Sung Sun were calm, though they themselves were healing their own set of wounds. Nel and Misami were completely unscathed, the white-haired Soul Reaper-Hollow hybrid having to look up at all the beings present because of her height.

She was still crossing her arms, looking with a half-lidded expression at the hooded Soul Reaper. Her hair seemed as if it were glowing in the moonlight of Hueco Muendo, casting a shadow on her features to make her seem more serious (and intimidating) than she actually was.

"There's about to be a war in the Soul Society," Daiki said flatly, "We need you three to come back and help us defend the Seireitei."

"What's the catch?" Takeshi immediately asked, cocking an eyebrow as his released form was sealed and left him with his normal appearance.

Daiki sighed, "Like I told Misami, she has to forget everything that's happened and Central 46 will blame the whole thing on some experimental healing technique."

"You really think that will work?" Takeshi said with a skeptical look, "Doesn't the Soul Society hate her?"

With the mention of the white-haired girl's reputation, the group stole a glance at her for the briefest of moments. The mention of everyone hating her hadn't made that much of an impact outwardly, but if one were to look close they would see Misami's hands gripping tightly in an attempt to keep herself under control. With the way Misami's expression was, most of the group turned their attention back to the hooded Soul Reaper and the spartan Arrancar.

"Through some reconnaissance and observation, I can tell you that they all secretly still love her," Daiki said, holding a hand out for reassurance, "They just lost so much in such a short amount of time that they couldn't think straight. They needed a scapegoat, and Central 46 knew that. So they gave them one. Most of the Soul Reapers still like Misami as much as they did before that series of incidents."

"So what you're saying is I won't get stoned if I show up?" Misami said with a strained tone to her voice, "Is it really okay for me to go home?"

"Yeah," Daiki nodded, turning to the petite Soul Reaper, "You can come home, Misami."

"Then what're we waiting for?!" Misami said, turning around.

Before anyone could say anything in response, be it opposition or affirmation, Misami turned away from the Arrancar and Soul Reaper. Her fingers curled into the image of a claw, Misami made a rending motion through the air before her. The space high above them, most likely fifteen feet or so, was ripped apart like fabric. Beyond the crack in the sky that the hybrid girl had created was a seemingly infinite black void. The Garganta was nothing new to those that were present, however. Most likely, the main reason that the Arrancars that Misami and her friends had saved were astonished was the fact that a Soul Reaper seemed to have the ability to create one at will. A true hybrid capable of both sets of abilities commanded by the Arrancar and Soul Reapers.

Misami leaped for the Garganta, a small smile on her face that had been gone for some time. She flew through the entrance to the empty space between the worlds, a path of spiritual pressure marking the path that she took through the void. Takeshi, Nel, and Daiki were all in the air in pursuit of the girl, ready to prepare for the war that lay ahead.

Just as the three of them were about to reach the entrance, a triplet of white blasts slammed into the threshold. Just as the three of them reached the Garganta, two of the shots went through as the last one covered the entrance in white bars. Locking the way out that Misami had created, the three of them turned around just as they heard a yelp of surprise from Misami. Looking into the Garganta through the bars, they could see that Misami was captured in a circular cage, the exit that lead to the Soul Society also caged as well. Just as Daiki was about to call out to Misami, the bars that obstructed the entrance on his end forced the gateway closed like foribly slamming shut a predator's gaping maw.

"I'm not going to let a little rat like you into the Soul Society!" Suddenly the Quincy's voice came from behind the group about to jump with the white-haired hybrid in question, "I was ordered by His Majesty, to stop Misami Kuchiki at all costs! I was given the letter J by His Majesty, Kirgoepy of 'The Jail'. There is no hope for you to escape my prison! Now rot there Misami Kuchiki, and know that your friends and family will all die while you sit helpless in my prison!"

* * *

Explosions erupted throughout the Seireitei, mixing with the sounds of Soul Reapers meeting their end.

Corpses of the valiant, yet weak, beings that ruled the Soul Society were littering the streets of their fortress. Blood coated the ruined and cracked rubble of the Seireitei, smoke rising into the air from fires and explosions to join massive pillars of light in the sky. Captains and Lieutenants met opponents that matched or exceeded their own strengths, their power unheard of since the Vasto Lorde Incident. Shadows fell from the sky, cast by Soul Reapers and Quincies fighting on forced platforms of spiritual pressure. The flames from some of their attacks joined the chorus of destruction, the landscape that had been the Seireitei nothing but a destroyed and hollow shadow of what it once was.

The Captains, the strongest ones that the Seireitei had in their charge, were fighting against the Quincies' elite warriors, their power matching that of the Captain's Bankai. As the Captains found, however, the most powerful release of their swords would only be stolen when they activated it. The Lieutenants were ordered by their Captains to restrain themselves from using their Bankai, if they had one, so that there would be at least a small amount of hope that they could use it later. As a result of this forced limiter on most of the strongest Soul Reapers' power, most were finding themselves in greater and greater danger as wounds turned to near fatal injuries and the body count continued to rise.

"Rukia! Hang in there!" Ichigo Kurosaki yelled among the chaos, his Bankai's blade on full display. "I'll protect you!"

"I'm counting on it, Strawberry!" Rukia yelled back at her husband, her Shikai's beautiful and elegant blade dancing through the air with its master in a deadly waltz.

The two of them were a strong team, knowing each other so well that they essentially fought as one body. Their soul was one, and they both desired the destruction of those that would threaten the things that they both held dear. They had been unable to seal Ichigo's Bankai with their strange medallions, much to the Quincies dismay. As of right then, Ichigo and Rukia were one of the very few soul contributors to the enemies' casualties. However, the amount of Soul Reapers that were getting torn apart around them made their efforts seem almost futile. As more and more of their comrades fell, the two leaders of the Fifth Squad felt more and more pressured to push their limits. Their comrades fought bravely, but they had neither the strength not the power to fight alongside their leaders, soon falling victim to the Quincy weapons wielded against them.

Ichigo swung his thin, blazing fast blade through the air in a cleaving motion, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

A black, red-accented crescent of dense power sliced through the air with a mighty roar. Many Quincy met their end due to that massive attack, clearing an entire street that had been filled with nothing but enemy soldiers. Those very enemies had just finished eliminating all the Soul Reapers in that block. With nothing left to get in the way of his attack, Ichigo had taken the opportunity to avenge his fallen comrades. The Hollow war that had taken place not too long ago was nothing compared to the brutality of this army.

It didn't help that the Seireitei had been rebuilding from that conflict, a frightening amount of personal having been killed in that previous conflict with the vengeful Vasto Lorde. There truly wasn't hope any hope from the moment this enemy had appeared from nowhere in a preemptive invasion.

"Did you hear the report, Captain?!" A messenger said, appearing as soon as there was a lull in the fighting.

"No, what is it!?" Ichigo responded, having to yell over the sound of battle and chaos around them.

"Misami Kuchiki is on her-Argh!" Suddenly the messenger's arm was blown off without warning.

"Ichigo! What did he say about Misami!?" Rukia yelled, fending off the enemy attacking their rear as Ichigo went after the one that shot the messenger Soul Reaper.

"I don't know, give him a chance to catch his breath while we deal with these losers!" Ichigo responded quickly, concentrating on the fight to stay on top of the situation. If he let the mere mention of Misami distract him, he wouldn't be able to fend off the enemies enough to allow the messenger to relay the rest of the message. It was hard to do something so out of character, to essentially ignore his friends instead of save them no matter the cost. Even knowing that he was doing this so that it was possible to hear the knowledge the messenger had for him.

"I know you lost your arm, Soul Reaper," Rukia yelled at the messenger as she finished a Quincy with a Hado, "But I'd rather hear about my sister sooner rather than later!"

"Y-Yes, Lieutenant Kuchiki," The messenger said taking a breath. "Misami Kuchiki...is returning to the Soul Society!"

"It's about time!" Ichigo said, grinning, "Now we can really take these guys out, right Rukia?"

"You know it, Ichigo!" Rukia returned her husband's confidence.

* * *

_**(A/N: Bit of a graphic part here! You've been warned :3)**_

"You couldn't just stay down, could you?" Takeshi whirled around with an feral glare, "You couldn't just sit there and live a little longer?!"

"There's nothing you can do that will-Gahh!" The Quincy began to say, but was interrupted with a clawed hand entangled in his intestines.

"I could think of millions of ways to make you regret those words, you sorry piece of crap," Takeshi said, his voice low and menacing. "I'm going to show you the real reason you never stood a chance against Misami, much less me. You're going to be one of the luck few to know what your own guts look like while I kill you nice and slow."

"How dare you-Argh!" The Quincy began, his voice stopped as Takeshi ripped out his bowels onto the rough sands of Hueco Muendo.

"You have no idea what you've done, Quincy," Takeshi hissed into his ear, "Tell you what, you like being under someone and calling them 'Majesty'? Because you'll be worshiping my name in gratitude when I finally put an end to your miserable existence. You can even call me 'Majesty' or 'Highness'! Since I'm your god now, filth, and I'm fresh out of grace _and _mercy..."

The Quincy remained silent, looking into the hollow black eyes of the Arrancar. Fear seeping into his mind by the second.

Nel had to look away from what happened next, the sounds enough to make her want to cringe. The animalistic side of her lover was something that she hadn't seen before. She understood why Takeshi was acting like this, however. Misami's horrified screams in the night, her nightmares, her fears would fill the empty air whenever she finally found rest. Nel remembered that the smallest could trigger her emotions to go haywire, her emotional instability only now balanced out with her self control gained from living life as a noble. It was a delicate balance, despite that, and the results were terrifying to behold.

"Please! No more!" The Quincy yelled, pain laced through his screams of agony, "No more!"

"C'mon, tough guy," Takeshi said, the sound of his claws slicing meticulously through the man's flesh, "It's only been five minutes. Since you blocked off our exit, you and me have _all the time in the world..._"

"Monster! Impure scum!" The Quincy snarled in between yelps of pain, followed by the sound of his internal organs falling onto the ground with a stomach-churning sloshing sound.

"Takeshi, stop it!" Nel exclaimed, "If you're going to kill him, just kill-"

"Have you forgotten, Nel?" Takeshi said, his voice neutral, "Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember!" Nel said, frustrated, "But there's no need to drag it out so much!"

"Sorry, Nel," Takeshi said, the Quincy crying out in agony from another laceration, "But you're wrong there. It gets really dark in those Garganta, and she's in a white cage. She can only those bars. Not to mention, she sees things in the darkness that aren't there, so it's only going to get worse. If she loses it in there, she will be nothing more than some animal with too much spiritual pressure. And what do you think will happen when she wakes up with blood and bodies all around her?"

"I...Uh..." Nel said, sighing.

"Again, I'm sorry," Takeshi said, blood from the slices he was creating coating a side of his face, "This is like an attempt on Misami's life. If anyone _dares _mess with the ones that I love, then they'll regret ever getting within a mile of me."

"You're right, Takeshi," Nel said, nodding, "But the same could be said for you. If you let yourself be controlled by your anger, then you won't be the same person."

"Are you saying that I should spare him?" Takeshi asked, seeming confused.

"No...Not at all," Nel responded harshly, "Scum like him with no value for others' lives, killing just because he was ordered to by some madman, should not deserve to live."

"Good, then we can compromise," Takeshi said, then turned to the Quincy, "Guess what? You're goddess just gave you a free pass!"

"'Free...P-Pass?" The Quincy croaked, his breath hitched.

"Yup!" The monster of an Arrancar grinned evilly, "You only have to deal with this for thirty more minutes!"

The hopelessness that washed over the Quincy's face told the world that he realized that this was not some nightmare.

No he realized who the real nightmare was, the one that would be ingrained into his being as the most terrifying being in the universe: Takeshi Yagami.

* * *

I shivered in the cold of the darkness surrounding me, the voices creeping into my mind.

The white bars of the cage seemed to grow and shrink, warping at will. When I touched the strange material, finding that it didn't move at all. The next instant, something brushed my hand, causing me to jerk my palm back and hug it close to my chest. The voices were growing louder and louder, my heart beat getting more and more frantic. I could feel an infinite number of eyes on me, staring straight through my soul, the heavy knowledge that I couldn't hide anything making it feel as though someone had placed a massive weight on my chest. The air felt cold, my breath sharp and painful to take in. My head was starting to hurt with each pounding of my heart, my legs weak as I began to lose strength.

_Master. Master! _Hikari's voice sliced through the dark air, the voices finally growing quiet enough for me to hear her beautiful voice, _Just this once, just this once you need to get yourself together! On three, all three of us are going to blast a whole into this stupid cage, alright!?_

**The Stiff's right, Princess, **My Hollow added, **I know this sorta stuff takes a lot outa ya, but if we can stop this before it happens, we can get outa here.**

I nodded, already readying myself for the attack. My Zanpakuto were holding off the feelings of fear and terror with their shear willpower, something that I wouldn't have believed was possible if it wasn't happening right now. Taking a deep breath, I held out my hands in the proper positions for the Captain level Hado that I was about to fire. I did my best to concentrate on the spell, thanking the spirits within me for this small window of opportunity.

"_Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired,_" I chanted, ten pink energy points appearing around me like comets in mid flight,

"Hado No. 91 Senju Koten Taiho!"

The ten energy points slammed into the cage around me, the resulting explosion blew apart everything I could see. My sense of self was momentarily destroyed as I was enveloped in a faint pink light so bright my eyes felt like they were going to go blind despite the fact they were closed. What my Zanpakuto apparently meant when they said they'd help me was to protect my body from my own attack. I was essentially hitting the cage and myself in one strike. The power behind the attack surprised even me, the amount of force and strength to the Hado more than I expected.

But it didn't make a dent in the cage. I took a deep breath and drew out my swords, without hesitation, I turned them on myself and impaled the twin blades in my stomach, "Bankai. Hikari no Daten-shi."

Having to fold my new form's wings in so they wouldn't get caught on the spherical bars, I wielded my black sword without hesitation, "Tsumi no Hasai Juryo."  
(Translation: Sin's Crushing Weight)

The resulting ball of spiritual pressure was essentially a black hole of my own creation. The cage's seemingly ethereal composition groaned at the added weight from the ability. Some of the particles broke off from the cage, shooting into the black orb that I could only sense and not see because of the darkness. My Bankai was absolute control over the spectrum of light and darkness itself. I don't remember who told me that, or when, but I just somehow knew that to be fact. My memories of when I achieved my Bankai for the first time were gone, probably never to return, and my Zanpakuto dodged my questions every time I brought it up. I assumed that, since the opposite of light is darkness, I had the ability to create the one thing in the universe that light itself could not escape, a black hole.

Pouncing on the chance, seeing the cage start to strain, I pulled forward my Light blade, a ball of pure white light emitting far too much power to comprehend forming as my intentions indicated, "Kurenjingu-sen!" (Translation: Cleansing Ray)

A beam equal to the most powerful natural phenomena known to the universe, a Super Gamma Ray Burst, laced with spiritual pressure particles, was unleashed on the cage. With the artifical black-hole still present, the blast was swallowed up the attack as soon as it passed through the cage.

The cage was charred and cracked, crumbling around me like glass. I banished the black hole out of existence, sealing my Bankai once again and returning to my normal Espada-like attire. I landed on a platform of spiritual pressure that I quickly made, looking around the realm I was in to get my bearings. Thankfully, the previous trail of spiritual pressure that I had created was still present, so I could follow it to the point I'd entered this void.

"Hado No. 33," I said, having no need for the incantation, "Sokatsui!"

The pale fire slammed into the stitched up entrance that I had come through, as I raced to poke out my head of the hole.

What I saw was a disemboweled Quincy at the feet of a crazed Arrancar. His limbs were skinned and sliced apart, the flesh that had been stripped jammed into the fearful man's mouth. The only visage of Ayon's power was the grotesque arm that seemed transplanted onto his form, which was now nothing more than a heap at the Quincy's crumbled form. Takeshi's eyes were filled with anger, breathing eerily calmly as he continued to torture the broken Quincy.

I took a deep breath, trying my best not to hurl my lunch for the third time today, "Yo!"

Takeshi's eyes whipped in my direction, "Misami!? Why aren't you...?"

"Losing my mind to a panic attack?" I finished, knowing he didn't want to offend me in some way, "Oh don't worry, if I get another look at that stupid Quincy, I think I will have one."

"You look really pale Misami," Nel said, looking up at me with a worried expression on her beautiful features.

"I always look pale," I chuckled, "I mean, I wear nothing but white."

Nel shook her head, her expression remaining, "Well, paler than usual."

"Eh, almost throwing up after using a Nineties level Hado will do that to you," I laughed nervously, "Anyways, we gotta get to the Soul Society, fast!"

"She's right," Daiki said, hopping up to my level and standing on a platform of spiritual pressure, "We're on a tight schedule here."

"What about us?" Lolly said, her severe wounds not stopping her from yelling up at me with an angry voice, "You come out of no where and play hero just to leave us here!?"

"I thought you didn't want us here?" I said, sounding almost sarcastic, "Don't you want to liberate Hueco Muendo from these weaklings?"

"Of course!" The Arrancar yelled back, "But you saw what happened before! We couldn't take all of them on at once!"

I sighed, looking at her straight in the eye, causing her to freeze as if I'd trapped her in a force field, "I'll be honest with you, okay? I don't really like the idea of helping the ones that claim to be the aides to _that _monster. But I _really _don't like the idea of the Quincy ruling over this place when its Takeshi's and Nel's home world. So what I want to happen is for you to stop complaining and do something about those Quincies."

"Like we'd ever take orders from-!" She started, but was interrupted.

"By a Soul Reaper? By a little girl?" Finished her sentence, still looking straight at her, "Sorry, but I don't have time for you to judge me on stupid things like that. Do what you will as long as it doesn't bother me...

Just remember who saved your sorry butts from those Quincies."

* * *

_**(A/N: Okay! It's safe now! XD) **_

The entire Seireitei stood still, not a single sound able to pass through the tense air.

Ichigo stood before a bloodied Byakuya, resting in an impression in the wall he was thrown in to.

"Is Rukia...alive?" Byakuya said, barely moving.

"Yeah...She's alive..." Ichigo said, looking down at his brother-in-law, "Misami's on her way, too."

"I see...I'm going to ask something extremely selfish, Captain Kurosaki..." Byakuya was staying, his chin coated in coughed-up blood, "Please...Protect the Soul Society."

"You got it, Byakuya," Ichigo said, the Captain of Squad Four losing consciousness, "I'll save everyone!"

The orange-haired Captain of Squad Five turned around and looked in the distance. He and Rukia had been separated had been separated, but he could feel her presence. She was alive, but not moving. He chastised himself for letting something like it happen, but they'd decided that they would cover more area if they split up. Renji was down for the count as well, along with a great number of Soul Reapers, leaving only Ichigo and the rest of the available Captains to fight off the armies of the Quincy.

Ichigo was in his Bankai now, using its speed to carve a path through the enemy. His target was their leader, the one that had caused the death of the greatest Soul Reaper Captain to ever exist, certainly the oldest. His blade was ready to avenge the fallen, to take down the ones that had disturbed the peace. Most of all, it was ready to protect his friends from anymore harm. His flame-like spiritual pressure flared and remained as if he'd set himself ablaze with power. Killing intent was resonating through the steel of his Bankai, the tattered hems of his sleeveless Haori and Bankai coat floating as if they were weightless in the updraft created by the Captain's great spiritual pressure. Any that drew close enough was cut down by the Captain whose eyes were cloaked in shadows created by his bright orange bangs.

Suddenly he burst forwards, his image vanishing from sight as he raced for the Quincy's location.

* * *

The Soul Reapers that were around the area fell to the crushing weight of defeat.

The knowledge that their most powerful and long standing leader was so easily defeated by their enemy left the worst blow to their morale in its wake. The Soul Reapers that were fighting the Quincy suddenly found it harder to maintain their level of engagement. The Captains that remained in the fight were watching on in disable from where they stood on shaky legs. They were in the same state as the rest of the Seireitei, utter shock washing over them as they tried to process this frightening development.

The leader of the Quincy forces stood before the mutilated and broken corpse of the great former Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

His second-in-command, a tall and thin white-haired man with a strong expression, stood by his side as they stared in the direction from which a new spiritual pressure had arisen. It was unmistakably Ichigo Kurosaki's spiritual pressure, the immense strength with a one-of-a-kind aura that one would not soon forget.

"This spiritual pressure...It must me..." the white haired second-in-command said, his voice trailing off.

"Yeah," The leader said simply, continuing to look in the direction of the spiritual pressure, "...This is Ichigo Kurosaki."

Out of no where, a long daito bade impaled the rubble a few meters before the Quincies. The wicked end of the blade was buried deep into the stone, the guard was similarly designed, the chain that was at the pommel flying in the air about the hilt from the forces acting on it. The power that it must have taken to drive a blade, no matter the sharpness of the edge, into stone so deeply without physically driving the sword into it had to be large indeed. The eyes of the pair widened in surprise, the presence that had caused the appearance of the wicked Bankai weapon following soon after.

Ichigo Kurosaki appeared behind the blade, his hand already on the black hilt. His expression was steel, glaring straight at the two Quincies with a burning passion. The desire to protect his friends and family were at an all time high, and one could easily tell from the way the Captain of Squad Five stared on at the two leaders of the worst invasion on the Seireitei yet. Blood streamed down his face from previous encounters, his breath heavier than normal, suggesting that he was at least partially exhausted from previous fighting. His mouth was slightly open, teeth barely visible as he breathed through his mouth. The chest of his Bankai garb was open, exposing his battered abdomen to the tense atmosphere.

The lips of the Quincy leader curled into an arrogant smirk.

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki stood alone on a hill of rubble soaked in crimson.

His Zanpakuto was held in a weakened hand, chips of the metal falling along with his noble blood. He stood despite his injuries, looking out into the sky he'd lived under his entire life. Many things were going through the great noble's mind. Anger, shame, annoyance all were swimming through his mind. Most of all, it was relief. His Lieutenant was safe, so he wouldn't have to get annoyed with him for ignoring his orders to live.

His precious pride, his adopted pair of sisters. Rukia was alive, though unconcious from what he could tell. Misami was on her way, according to his bother-in-law. He could rest easy, and fall in his embarrassment because of his failure. His failure to protect the Soul Society like he was supposed to, to save the ones that he cared about from harm in this war. The darkness of the sky reflected how he felt about his performance in this war.

His strength was leaving him, fading away as it leaked out the wounds that he had sustained. His legs felt weak, his body like lead. He felt the unforgiving force of gravity and exhaustion pull his frame down to the ground. He didn't want to fall, he wanted to remain standing and fight for the ones that he was given charge of. Byakuya wanted to see Rukia's face again, to see her grow strong and overcome the adversity. The beauty and elegance that she displayed was something that reminded him so mush of his late wife that it was like she was there with him again.

As for Misami, her kindness and acceptance of everyone despite background, personality, and status was something that reminded him of Hisana all too much. The look in her eyes when he first met her was almost like meeting her all over again. Always smiling, always kind to others. As he saw this when he had her stay at the mansion, sitting alone in her garden was the wind blew her ethereal white hair. She would look out in the distance towards Hanging Dog, a slightly sad look on her face when she thought no one was looking. Byakuya could remember Misami thanking him for all that he had done for her. She even went as far as to apologize for not being able to pay back his generosity and love. The very last words that Hisana had said before she drew her last breath.

His grip on his Zanpakuto was weak, the energy he had left leaving him. With the last of his ability, Byakuya whispered, "I'll leave it to you, Ichigo Kurosaki..."

With that the last of his strength was gone, and he could no longer hold onto his sword's hilt. As the shattered blade fell to the ground, its master began to rumble to the ground, the ability to stand no longer with him.

But he didn't reach the ground.

"I know that you'll never forgive me for what I've done, Big Brother...But..."

A calming, familiar spiritual pressure washed over him as he felt a gentle force under his arm. Someone was supporting his limp frame, someone his weakened senses couldn't detect until now. He looked down to see a beautiful girl dressed in white Espada-like clothes. Her pale blue eyes were warped with tears that had already began to fall. Her eyes were swirling with a strange mix of utter happiness and sadness all at once. Pain, grief, regret, sorrow, and sadness were mixed in with the joy and relief that she felt, and the girl didn't seem to know what to feel. Despite that, it was obvious from what she was saying that she knew exactly how she felt in hat moment:

"...But I've never been happier in my life! ...I got to see you again..."


End file.
